Legal Definitions - daughter-in-law

A daughter-in-law is the wife of one's son. This term describes a relationship by affinity, where an individual becomes part of the family through marriage.

A daughter-in-law is the woman who is married to one's son. This term describes the relationship from the perspective of the son's parent or parents.

Here are some examples to illustrate this term:

• Example 1: Family Introduction

  During a family gathering, Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez introduce their son's wife to their relatives. Mr. Rodriguez says, "Everyone, this is Emily, our daughter-in-law. She's married to our son, Marco."

  This example illustrates that Emily is the daughter-in-law because she is the wife of Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez's son, Marco.

• Example 2: Estate Planning

  In her will, Mrs. Henderson specifies that a portion of her estate should go to "my son, Thomas, and my daughter-in-law, Sarah."

  Here, Sarah is identified as Mrs. Henderson's daughter-in-law, indicating that Sarah is the wife of Mrs. Henderson's son, Thomas, and is recognized as a family member within a legal document.