Legal Definitions - post mortem

Definition: Post mortem is a Latin term that means "after death." In a legal sense, it can refer to various things that happen after a person has died.

• Post-mortem tax planning: This involves creating a plan to reduce the amount of taxes that the estate and its beneficiaries will have to pay after the person has died. For example, the estate might donate money to charity to reduce its tax liability.
• Postmortem examination: This is an autopsy, which is a medical examination of a deceased person's body to determine the cause of death. This can be important for legal and medical reasons.
• Post-mortem publicity rights: These are the rules that govern how a person's name, image, or other aspects of their identity can be used for commercial purposes after they have died. For example, a company might want to use a deceased celebrity's image in an advertisement, but they would need to get permission from the person's estate first.

These examples illustrate how the term "post mortem" can be used in different legal contexts related to death. Whether it's planning for taxes, investigating a death, or protecting a person's identity after they have passed away, there are many ways that the law deals with issues that arise after someone has died.