As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Adult” means a natural person 18 years of age or older.

(2) “Declarant” means a competent adult who signs a declaration pursuant to the provisions of this article.

(3) “Declaration instrument” means a written instrument, signed by a declarant, governing the disposition of the declarant’s last remains and the ceremonies planned after a declarant’s death, including a document governing the disposition of last remains under this title or a United States Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data Form (DD Form 93) or any successor form executed by the declarant. Such a declaration may be made within a prepaid funeral, burial, or cremation contract with a mortuary or crematorium.

(4) “Interested person” means the deceased’s spouse, parent, adult child, sibling, grandchild, and other person designated in a declaration instrument.

(5) “Last remains” means the deceased’s body or cremains after death.

(6) “Reasonable under the circumstances,” applied to the declarant’s instructions, means appropriate in relation to the declarant’s finances, cultural or family customs, and religious or spiritual beliefs. “Reasonable under the circumstances” implies consideration of factors that include, but are not limited to, a prepaid funeral, burial or cremation plan of the declarant; the size of the declarant’s estate; the declarant’s cultural or family customs; the declarant’s religious or spiritual beliefs; and the known or reasonably ascertainable creditors of the declarant.

(7) a. “Third party” means a person:

1. Who is requested by a declaration instrument to act in good faith in reliance upon such instrument;

2. Who is delegated discretion over ceremonial or dispositional arrangements in a declaration instrument under § 264 of this title; or

3. Who is delegated discretion over ceremonial or dispositional arrangements in a declaration instrument.

b. “Third party” includes, but is not limited to, a funeral director, mortician, mortuary, crematorium, or cemetery.

(8) “Unreasonable” means an act that is clearly unreasonable, pursuant to the definition of “reasonable under the circumstances” under paragraph (6) of this section.

74 Del. Laws, c. 295, § ?1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 296, § ?1;

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Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260

  • Adult: means a natural person 18 years of age or older. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260
  • Child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Declarant: means a competent adult who signs a declaration pursuant to the provisions of this article. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260
  • Declaration instrument: means a written instrument, signed by a declarant, governing the disposition of the declarant's last remains and the ceremonies planned after a declarant's death, including a document governing the disposition of last remains under this title or a United States Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data Form (DD Form 93) or any successor form executed by the declarant. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260
  • Emergency: means the respondent is in danger of incurring imminent serious physical harm or substantial economic loss or expense. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 39A-101
  • Last remains: means the deceased's body or cremains after death. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 39A-101
  • United States: includes its territories and possessions and the District of Columbia. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
  • Unreasonable: means an act that is clearly unreasonable, pursuant to the definition of "reasonable under the circumstances" under paragraph (6) of this section. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 260