Legal Definitions - affinitas affinitatis

Affinitas Affinitatis

This historical legal term refers to a relationship that arises not directly from blood (consanguinity) or a single marriage (affinity), but from a connection created by two separate marriages. It describes a "relationship of a relationship" through marital ties, where individuals are linked through a chain of marriages rather than direct familial or spousal bonds.

Here are some examples illustrating affinitas affinitatis:

• Example 1: Consider a man, Arthur, whose wife, Brenda, has a son, Carl, from a previous marriage. Carl's biological father, David, later marries Eleanor. Eleanor has a daughter, Fiona, from a previous relationship.

  In this scenario, Arthur (the husband of Carl's mother) and Fiona (the daughter of Carl's biological father's second wife) are connected by affinitas affinitatis. Their relationship is not by blood or a single marriage, but through the chain of two marriages: Arthur to Brenda, and David to Eleanor, creating an indirect link between their respective step-families.

• Example 2: Imagine Sarah, whose husband, Tom, has a daughter, Uma, from a previous marriage. Uma's biological mother, Vicky, later marries Walter. Walter has a son, Xavier, from a previous marriage.

  Here, Sarah (Tom's wife) and Xavier (Walter's son, where Walter is married to Uma's mother) are connected by affinitas affinitatis. Their relationship arises from the two marriages (Sarah to Tom, and Vicky to Walter), creating a complex, indirect familial tie.