Q: my mother-in-law passed away, her son, my husband, had passed away years ago, am I considered her next of kin?
For the purpose of getting a certified death certificate, am I legally allowed to request it? She had other children who don't talk to me so I cannot ask them for it. I need a certified death certificate in order to evict those very children from my property.
A: You should be able to get a death certificate from the County Clerk’s office. Go to the website of the Clerk’s office for the county in which she lived if she was a California resident. (If she was not a resident of California, but died in California, then you would check the county in which she died.) The website will show how much the certificate will cost, which is generally $20 - $25 each, and any form you would need to fill out. You could also go directly to the County Clerk’s office and request the document in person. They will print one and hand it to you, so you get it more quickly. Best wishes!
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