next of kin

tryingtomove_2

can anyone advise me to who my next of kin would legally be, i have no mother or father alive not married but do live with my longterm partener, have children but they are under 18

nearlyrich

You can name your long term partner as your next of kin in the absence of a blood relative.

jenniferpa

Apparently, there is no legal definition of a next of kin. The link below gives more info http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/askthesiteqandas/legalandrightsqandas/nextofkin

Much would depend on the issue that would cause this to be raised. Dying intestate, for example, could be somewhat different than giving consent for surgery.


Jennifer

tryingtomove_2

thank you for your answers i do have siblings but would not want them to be next of kin in any events

jenniferpa

Well, I think you need to think about the areas where a next of kin could be important, if you don't want your siblings involved. If you haven't already done so, you need to make a will indicating who should care for your minor children in the event of your death. It wasn't clear from your post whether your children are also your SO's children, but if not, and if their father is not in the picture, it doesn't sound as if you'd be happy with one of your siblings taking control of their lives, which is likely to happen in that situation.

Jennifer

Broken_hearted

When my partner now husband was in hospital they put our son 3 down as his next of kin and wouldn't accept me. I went mad with them at the idea of them phoning a 3 year old if something happened it was stupid.

hjb123

Broken_hearted wrote:

When my partner now husband was in hospital they put our son 3 down as his next of kin and wouldn't accept me. I went mad with them at the idea of them phoning a 3 year old if something happened it was stupid.

Thats plain ridiculous! Anyone with an ounce of common sense wouldnt put a 3 year old down as a contact in hospital! Did they alter it in the end or not?

Spendless

This is one of the big reasons why we decided to marry. When I was in hospital losing our baby and the hospital wanted to know my next of kin, officially it was my parents not my then boyfriend and father of the child.

hope you take all the ness steps to sort your next of kin out.

Broken_hearted

Yes they sorted it thankfully after I told them how stupid they were being.

Savvy_Sue

I think they are more flexible now than they used to be: I remember a divorced friend being very upset because her teenage daughter was asked to go and identify her dad's body after he died. My friend was able to go instead but the request from the police was for daughter as she was now seen as next of kin.

So if you are fit to be asked I think in hospital, they will now put down whoever you ask them to put down as n-o-k. But in the event of death or incapacity, it's obviously more difficult for them to use their own initiative. A will is essential if you don't want leave your worldly goods or your children to your relatives!

margaretclare

When my (now) DH was in hospital in 1999, before we were married, before his divorce was through (!) he put me down as N-O-K even though he has blood relatives - a son and a daughter, and a brother.

No one argued.

Margaret Clare