Legal Definitions - brother

In legal contexts, the term "brother" can have several specific meanings depending on the shared parentage. While generally referring to a male sibling, legal definitions often distinguish between full brothers, half brothers, and stepbrothers to clarify relationships for purposes such as inheritance, family law, or immigration.

• Brother (General)

  A male who shares at least one biological parent with another person. This is the broadest definition, encompassing various types of sibling relationships.

  • Example 1: Sarah and Mark grew up together, both born to the same mother and father.
    • Explanation: Mark is Sarah's brother because they share both biological parents.
  • Example 2: After their parents divorced, Emily's mother remarried and had a son, Alex, with her new husband.
    • Explanation: Alex is Emily's brother because they share the same biological mother.
• Brother-German

  A full brother; a male who shares both the same biological mother and the same biological father with another person. This term emphasizes complete shared parentage.

  • Example 1: Twin brothers, Ethan and Owen, were born at the same time to Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez.
    • Explanation: Ethan is Owen's brother-german because they share both their mother and father.
  • Example 2: A will specifies that an inheritance is to be divided among the testator's "brother-german" and two sisters. The testator has one brother who shares both parents and another who only shares their mother.
    • Explanation: Only the brother who shares both parents would be included in the inheritance as the "brother-german."
• Consanguine Brother

  In civil law systems, a consanguine brother is a male who shares the same biological father but a different biological mother with another person. The term "consanguine" refers to a relationship through the male line or bloodline of the father.

  • Example 1: David's father, Mr. Chen, had a son named Michael from a previous marriage before marrying David's mother.
    • Explanation: Michael is David's consanguine brother because they share the same biological father (Mr. Chen) but have different biological mothers.
  • Example 2: For a legal document in a civil law country, a family tree is being constructed to determine heirs. It notes that a deceased man had children with two different women. His son from the first relationship and his son from the second relationship are identified.
    • Explanation: These two sons are consanguine brothers to each other, as they share the same father but have different mothers.
• Half Brother

  A male who shares only one biological parent with another person—either the same father or the same mother, but not both. This is a widely used term to distinguish from a full brother.

  • Example 1: After her parents divorced, Lisa's mother remarried and had a son, Kevin, with her new husband. Lisa's biological father also had a son, Ben, with his new wife.
    • Explanation: Kevin is Lisa's half brother because they share the same mother. Ben is also Lisa's half brother because they share the same father.
  • Example 2: In a family court hearing, a child expresses a desire to live with their older brother, who is the son of their mother and her previous partner.
    • Explanation: This older brother is a half brother, as they share only the mother.
• Stepbrother

  The son of one's stepparent. A stepbrother is not biologically related to you through either parent but is connected through the marriage of one of your parents to his parent.

  • Example 1: When Sarah's father married Ms. Davis, Ms. Davis's son from her previous marriage, Tom, became part of their household.
    • Explanation: Tom is Sarah's stepbrother because he is the son of her stepparent (Ms. Davis).
  • Example 2: A blended family consists of a mother with a son and a father with a son who marry. The two sons, who now live together, refer to each other as brothers.
    • Explanation: These two boys are stepbrothers, as they are not biologically related but are connected through the marriage of their respective parents.
• Uterine Brother

  In civil law systems, a uterine brother is a male who shares the same biological mother but a different biological father with another person. The term "uterine" refers to sharing the same womb or mother.

  • Example 1: Maria's mother had a son, Alex, with her first husband before marrying Maria's father.
    • Explanation: Alex is Maria's uterine brother because they share the same biological mother but have different biological fathers.
  • Example 2: In an estate proceeding in a civil law jurisdiction, a deceased woman's assets are being distributed. She had children with two different men. Her son from the first relationship and her son from the second relationship are identified.
    • Explanation: These two sons are uterine brothers to each other, as they share the same mother but have different fathers.