Son's Ashes Are Not Property Subject To Partition Between Parents

In Wilson v. Wilson, (FL App., May 21, 2014), a Florida state appellate court held that the cremated remains of 23-year old Scott Wilson, killed in a 2010 auto accident, are not "property" that is subject to partition between the young man's divorced parents. In the case, the parents could not agree on where the ashes should be buried, so the father asked to court to allow each parent to dispose of half the ashes as they wished. The mother objected on religious grounds.The appellate court, citing authority going back to Blackstone, agreed with the trial court that the ashes are not property. The case now goes back to the trial judge who has indicated that he will appoint a curator or other suitable person to decide how to dispose of the remains if the parents are unable to reach an agreement.  The Broward-Palm Beach (FL) Sun Sentinel reports on the decision.