Section 1: General Definitions & Legal Concepts (1-15)
1. The "Right of Sepulcher" is defined as:
A) The right to inherit property
B) The legal right to control the disposition of a deceased person's remains
C) The right to embalm without consent
D) The right to sue the funeral home
2. Another common term for the Right of Sepulcher is:
A) Right of inheritance
B) Right of disposition or right to control remains
C) Right of burial only
D) Right of cremation only
3. The Right of Sepulcher is primarily a matter of:
A) Federal law
B) State law (common law or statute)
C) International treaty
D) Local zoning ordinances
4. The Right of Sepulcher grants the right to control:
A) Only burial location
B) The final disposition of the body (burial, cremation, entombment, etc.)
C) Only the funeral service
D) Only the casket selection
5. Who typically holds the Right of Sepulcher?
A) The funeral home
B) The next of kin, in a specified hierarchy
C) The attending physician
D) The cemetery
6. The Right of Sepulcher is also known as the right to:
A) Receive Social Security benefits
B) Possess, preserve, and dispose of the remains
C) Embalm without consent
D) Claim life insurance
,7. The Right of Sepulcher is considered a:
A) Quasi-property right (a right in the nature of property for limited purposes)
B) Full property right (like owning a house)
C) Criminal right
D) Constitutional right only
8. The primary purpose of the Right of Sepulcher is to:
A) Generate revenue for funeral homes
B) Ensure that remains are treated with dignity and disposed of according to the wishes
of the deceased or family
C) Allow the state to take possession of all remains
D) Eliminate family involvement
9. If there is no next of kin, the Right of Sepulcher typically passes to:
A) The funeral home
B) The public administrator or local government
C) The cemetery
D) The attending physician
10. The Right of Sepulcher does NOT include the right to:
A) Choose between burial and cremation
B) Select a casket
C) Anatomical donation (that is governed by separate laws and the decedent's own
wishes)
D) Decide on the location of interment
11. A decedent may express their wishes regarding disposition through:
A) A will, prepaid funeral contract, or other written instrument
B) A verbal statement to a friend (generally not legally binding)
C) A drawing
D) A text message without witnesses
12. The decedent's expressed wishes regarding disposition are generally:
A) Legally binding on the family in most states if properly documented
B) Completely ignored
C) Only suggestions with no legal weight
D) Binding only if the family agrees
13. If the decedent left written instructions and the family disagrees, the law generally
gives priority to:
, A) The family's wishes
B) The decedent's written instructions (in many states)
C) The funeral home's preference
D) The cemetery's rules
14. The Right of Sepulcher may be limited by:
A) Public health laws and medical examiner jurisdiction
B) No limitations
C) Only the family's budget
D) The funeral home's policies
15. Which document often contains the decedent's disposition wishes?
A) The death certificate
B) A will or advance directive
C) The funeral home's GPL
D) The cemetery deed
Section 2: Hierarchy of Persons with Disposition Rights (16-35)
16. The highest priority for disposition rights is generally given to:
A) The surviving spouse
B) A designated agent (if appointed by the decedent)
C) Adult children
D) Parents
17. In most states, a person appointed by the decedent in a written document (e.g.,
advance directive) has:
A) Priority over all family members
B) No priority
C) Equal priority with spouse
D) Lower priority than children
18. If the decedent appointed an agent for disposition, the agent's authority is typically:
A) Subject to state law and the document's terms
B) Automatically void
C) Only for burial, not cremation
D) Only for embalming