Who is allowed to file a wrongful death claim in California?
California law gives the right to file first to a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner and children (including, in some situations, stepchildren or others who depended on the decedent). If there’s no surviving spouse, partner, or child, the right generally passes to whoever would inherit under California’s intestate succession rules, such as parents or siblings. Because the rules get specific quickly — especially with blended families or no immediate next of kin — it’s worth having your family’s situation reviewed directly rather than relying on a general answer.
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