If the divorce is not final, the spouse is still considered to be which of the following?

When a divorce is not finalized, the spouse is still considered next of kin. This designation typically includes immediate family members such as a spouse, children, or parents, who have legal rights in various situations, such as making decisions regarding medical emergency consent or inheritance matters.

In the context of funeral services, being next of kin is particularly important because it often grants the spouse the authority to make decisions regarding the deceased's arrangements and the disposition of remains. Until the divorce is finalized, the legal ties remain intact, which reinforces the spouse's status as next of kin, despite any social or relational changes that the couple may be experiencing.

Other roles, such as legal guardian or authorized representative, require specific legal statuses that are defined outside the context of marital relationships. A legal guardian is someone who is appointed to make decisions for another person, usually a minor or someone unable to care for themselves, while an authorized representative refers to someone given explicit legal authority to act on another's behalf, often through documentation. In the case of an unresolved divorce, the spouse does not lose the next of kin status, making that the correct choice in this scenario.