Marriage
Rights Continued
2. Automatic right to visit partner
in the hospital
3. Right to sue for wrongful death if partner negligently killed
4. Right to consent or refuse
consent to an autopsy of partner's body
5. Vested right to be buried in cemetery plot with partner
6. Automatic right to inherit cemetery plot
7. Automatic right to make arrangements for funeral or dispose of deceased partner's
body
8. Right to donate partner's body or organs after death
9. Automatic right to inherit deceased partner's estate
10. Prior will is automatically revoked when entering a new relationship
11. Prior will is automatically revoked when the relationship ends
12. Right to be notified in a public notice before partner's will is destroyed
by an attorney
13. Preference to be appointed personal representative of deceased partner's
estate
14. Right to continue to live in the deceased partner's home for one year after
partner's death
15. Automatic right to notice in matters involving deceased partner's estate
16. Right to support from deceased partner's estate
17. Right to demand one-quarter share of partner's estate if will leaves less
than that
18. Automatic right to notice that a conservatorship or guardianship is being
filed against partner unless currently living together
19. May get highest preference by court to be appointed as guardian or conservator
for incapacitated partner
20. Right to private visits in long-term care facility
21. Right to share a room in long-term care facility
22. Right to file joint state tax returns
23. Right to name partner as health care decision-maker when partner is serving
as physician
24. Right to rollover IRA upon partner's death and continue tax deferral
25. Surviving partner may not have to pay inheritance tax when first partner
dies
Click here to download a pdf of the "Top 100".