No, while obituaries are often thought of as legal documents, they are actually not. Obituaries are considered news stories, and as such, they do not have any legal significance. While they may be used to provide information about a deceased person's life, obituaries are not legally binding. This means that obituaries cannot be used to settle estate disputes or for other legal purposes. However, obituaries can be helpful in terms of providing closure for the bereaved and helping to remember a loved one.