<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="5-511" title_number="5" title_name="Death" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Miscellaneous Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A practitioner and an operator of a crematory or reduction facility may rely on the representations made by an authorizing agent and are not guarantors of the reliability of those representations.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A practitioner and an operator of a crematory or reduction facility have no responsibility to contact or to independently investigate the existence of any next of kin of the decedent.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An individual may file a petition with the appropriate court to obtain the authority to be authorizing agent:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the individual alleges that permitting one or more of the individuals with priority under § 5-509(c) of this subtitle to authorize arrangements for the final disposition of the body of a decedent may cause substantial injustice; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If, considering all the circumstances, an individual other than an individual with priority under § 5-509(c) of this subtitle had a closer personal affinity to the decedent and should be allowed to make the arrangements.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Pending the outcome of a petition filed under this section, a practitioner shall suspend any arrangements with the individuals under § 5-509(c) of this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
</section>
