Presumed dead: What it takes to get court order Monday February 22 2021 Summary What many might not know is that there is a provision in law that allows relatives to move to court and obtain an order, compelling the government to issue a death certificate, on presumption that the relative is dead. One of the requirements is that the missing person must have vanished for more than seven years and not heard or seen him during the period by those who might be expected to have contact with him or her. What happens when a kin disappears without trace and efforts to find him or her bear no fruit? And for how long should a family wait for the lost kin to be presumed dead and seek a death certificate?