Legal Definitions - divisim

Divisim is a historical legal term that means severally or separately. It was used to describe actions, responsibilities, or entitlements that were to be considered or carried out individually, rather than jointly or collectively by multiple parties.

Here are some examples to illustrate its meaning:

• Inheritance of Property: Imagine a will from the 18th century that states, "My lands shall pass to my three children divisim."

  This means that each child would inherit a distinct, separate portion of the land as their own individual property, rather than all three children owning the entire estate jointly. Each child's share would be clearly demarcated and held separately from the others.

• Legal Liability for Damages: Consider a historical court judgment where several individuals were found responsible for causing damage to a public building. The court might have ordered them to pay for repairs "divisim."

  In this context, it would mean that each individual defendant was responsible for a specific, separate portion of the total repair cost, rather than all of them being jointly liable for the entire sum. For example, one might be ordered to pay 30%, another 40%, and the third 30%, each paying their distinct share.

• Assignment of Duties: In a historical administrative context, a royal decree might have assigned various tasks to different local officials "divisim."

  This would imply that each official had their own distinct and separate set of responsibilities. For instance, one official might be solely responsible for collecting taxes in a particular district, while another was independently responsible for maintaining public roads in a different area, without shared accountability for each other's specific duties.