Former American Idol judge, Simon Cowell, has been in the news lately because he announced his intent to have his body cryonically frozen after he dies. Cryonic technology allows for preserving the human body after death by a type of freezing procedure. Individuals who opt for this procedure do so in hopes that technology to revive them will be developed some point in the future.
The current cost for this procedure is substantial. It can cost from $10,000 to have just the head preserved up to about $200,000 for the full body. Companies that provide the service recommend that the cost can be addressed through the purchase of life insurance, which should be affordable if purchased at a relatively young age.
From an estate planning perspective cryonics presents some interesting questions. One such question may involve property rights. How would the law address the property rights of an individual whose estate has already been administered but was later brought back to life?
Cowell has helped bring cryonics and some interesting legal implications into the public consciousness.
