when are you legally dead?

[claymore]

What is the legal definition of death.do you have to be a dead body to be declared legally dead,and is it unlawful to fake your own death even if you just simply wanted to get away from it all and start again? lots of people walk away from their everyday lives for a variety of reasons , some are never heard of again,are they declared legally dead after a set time?

[CheekyChops]

It is usually seven years:

"...But if someone vanishes and no body is recovered, an application can be made to a coroner's court to have that person declared dead.

The court will automatically make this declaration if someone has been missing for seven years.

But it could happen sooner if there is strong circumstantial evidence of death, for example if the "dead" person was in a plane that crashed with no survivors.

In such cases a claim could be made on a life insurance policy"

[fredpuli47]

Faking you own death is not itself illegal.However the fakery is usually done for some dishonest and criminal purpose. Generally that is to obtain some financial advantage to the "deceased"or his family by the deception but it may be for other benefit ,such as to stop a prosecution of the person himself, obstructing justice,when he has committed some crime.