Who holds the tenth priority in the order of controlling remains?

Who holds the tenth priority in the order of controlling remains?

• A. A chief fiscal officer of a county or public administrator appointed, or anyone else acting on the behalf of the decedent, provided that the person has executed a written statement
• B. Any person over 18 who would be entitled to share in the estate
• C. A close friend or relative who is familiar with the decedent's wishes
• D. Decedent's living spouse

Answer: (A)

Think of who gets to decide where a decedent’s remains are disposed as a fixed hierarchy. After the higher-priority family and heirs are accounted for, the tenth in line is the county’s chief fiscal officer or a public administrator appointed, or someone else acting on the decedent’s behalf, but only if the decedent left a written statement authorizing them. This written directive is crucial—it validates the decedent’s wish and lets a designated official handle the disposition when no one else with priority is available or willing. The other options don’t fit because a surviving spouse or closely related person typically sits higher in the hierarchy, a close friend has no statutory priority, and a generic adult heir isn’t automatically empowered to control remains without a properly named directive.

Think of who gets to decide where a decedent’s remains are disposed as a fixed hierarchy. After the higher-priority family and heirs are accounted for, the tenth in line is the county’s chief fiscal officer or a public administrator appointed, or someone else acting on the decedent’s behalf, but only if the decedent left a written statement authorizing them. This written directive is crucial—it validates the decedent’s wish and lets a designated official handle the disposition when no one else with priority is available or willing. The other options don’t fit because a surviving spouse or closely related person typically sits higher in the hierarchy, a close friend has no statutory priority, and a generic adult heir isn’t automatically empowered to control remains without a properly named directive.