I read a fascinating op-ed in the New York Times this morning about the rash of celebrity – by which I mean historically significant – exhumations that have taken place as DNA technology has advanced over the past couple of decades (Raising the Dead by Bess Lovejoy). The wishes of the next-of-kin or traceable descendants are almost always given consideration by authorities in the decision to dig or not dig.
This got me thinking about something I’ve always wondered about, so let me pose a hypothetical situation here using my personal situation as a case study. (I am not seeking personal legal advice, and I know that posters on the SDMB are not my legal counsel).
My sibling and I both live in New York state. We are the only survivors of our nuclear family, so my sibling is my next-of-kin. (If it matters, there are cousins and a surviving in-law and nephew from another sibling who is deceased). Let’s say my relationship with my sibling is very strained. Would it be possible to exclude my sibling from every single aspect of my life after I die? (I know that that is a head-scratching contradiction of terms, but you get the idea.)
I know that I could write a will that would keep my sibling from getting any of my physical and monetary assets, but beyond that, how much can I prevent my sibling from controlling any decision that the law usually grants to a deceased person’s next-of-kin (like exhuming my body, and a thousand other entitlements I’m not aware of)?
And could such a mechanism survive my sibling’s lifetime? Say I want to remove all control from the entire Stuyguy family tree for perpetuity. Is such a thing possible?
Well, there’s also his digital legacy to consider: images, videos, etc. Before long, they could have Stuyguy acting in a movie, post-mortem. Animated, of course, unless it’s a zombie flick.
The issues regarding a person’s digital legacy are just beginning to be worked out. There are companies on the internet that help people deal with some aspects, but not AFAIK regarding permission to use your image/persona.
Of course, it’s usually only the famous who have to worry much about their images being used post-mortem.
Related story: there was a news story about a family that suddenly inherited a couple million dollars from a totally unknown relative from 2 centuries in the past.The guy hated his entire family, so he left all his wealth to his great-great grandchildren (not yet born),on the condition only after the last of his great grandchildren were dead would the will be activated.
This guy left everthing in a trust to be managed by 3 generations of lawyers in the future.
So something similar to what you want is possible.
Cite: I read it about 2 or 3 years ago, as a news article that popped up on a sidebar of Yahoo.l