Define That Term #284

Last week's term was Feres Doctrine, which is defined as:

A legal doctrine that prevents people who are injured as a result of military service from successfully suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The doctrine comes from the U.S. Supreme Court case Feres v. United States, in which servicemen who picked up highly radioactive weapons fragments from a crashed airplane were not permitted to recover damages from the government. Also known as the Feres-Stencel doctrine or the Feres rule.

No one guessed this time around.

This week's term is:

dower and curtesy.

As always, no dictionaries.

Comments

[Edward Wiest]

Indefeasable right of a wife (now, more generally, a spouse) to a specified portion of the husband's (spouse's) estate, notwithstanding the terms of that person's will. Originally created at common law; economic terms differed from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In general, now supplanted by provisions of state laws governing descent and distribution providing specified portion of an estate to surviving spouses, notwithstanding terms of the will.