Who Should Be Your Next Of Kin?????? ~ BimzTheory

I was given forms to fill at an event I attended recently and there was a column I was to fill that set me into some deep thinking of some sorts. First of all, let me state categorically that I hate filling forms of any type and the headache this particular column was giving me was not funny.

The column was….. “NEXT OF KIN”

Hmnn…I can just imagine you saying what is the big deal about this question? Well for me since I don’t have a husband, I was thinking should I put my daughter’s name? but she is only 12yrs old…should I put my mum’s name? but she is supposed to die before me…..should I put one of my sibling’s name? The list goes on and on but really whose name should be in this column???

A next of kin is meant to be a person’s closest living relative, nearest blood relation or closest family member. But what happens when they are all different people? Who should take preeminence?

Some years ago this issue caused a rift in a friend’s family when they found out their father had filled his brother as his next of kin rather than their mother. They raised it with their dad who blatantly refused to change it insisting that his brother would be in a better position to handle his affairs. Unfortunately they both died in a car accident and there was a serious legal tussle with the other family members.

The next-of-kin relationship is a very important one because it gives the person the right to either take serious decisions or outrightly take over what you might have in terms of inheritance. So for me the question remains who should actually be your next of kin??