In some states the deceased spouse's parents, siblings, nieces or nephews and even more distant relatives receive a cut.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Clark 's distant relatives are ignoring her decision to live a private life.

MSN: Investigative reporter

Mother, father, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents, distant relatives.

BBC: Getting away from 'the world' Hutterite-style

The luckless Lebanese-American Douaihy family, distant relatives of Kahlil Gibran, lives in a run-down section of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where all is definitely not well and may never be.

NEWYORKER: Bluebird of Unhappiness

Mr. Issa lives with distant, better-off relatives, does occasional electronics-repair work and gets a little money from an older brother, who after a 12-year job hunt, finally found work as an electrical engineer earlier this year.

WSJ: Arab World Built Colleges, but Not Jobs

It puts the wishes of close relatives, such as parents or spouses in a hierarchy above those of more distant ones.

BBC: Real life and law making collide