According to California law, when does a competent surviving spouse relinquish his or her right to control disposition of the remains if he or she fails to act, delegate, or be located?

• A. 24 hours after the right developed upon him or her
• B. 7 days after the right developed upon him or her
• C. 10 days after the right developed upon him or her
• D. 72 hours after the right developed upon him or her

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that California law gives a competent surviving spouse a limited window to act, delegate, or be located to control disposition of the remains. That window is 10 days after the right develops upon him or her. If the spouse does none of these within those 10 days, the right is relinquished, and others in line (such as the next priority party or the funeral director) can proceed with disposition. This timing prevents indefinite delays and ensures timely handling of remains. The other timeframes don’t match the statutory period, so they aren’t correct.