Simple English definitions for legal terms
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en ventre sa mere
En ventre sa mere means "in the mother's womb" in Law French. It refers to an unborn child and is often used when discussing the rights of that child. If a child is en ventre sa mere at the time of a person's death and is later born alive, the child is considered to have existed at the time of the person's death for inheritance purposes.
Example 1: A woman is pregnant when her father dies. If the baby is born alive, it is entitled to a share of the inheritance because it was en ventre sa mere at the time of the father's death.
Example 2: A couple is going through a divorce, and the wife is pregnant. The court must consider the rights of the unborn child, who is en ventre sa mere, when making decisions about custody and support.
These examples illustrate how the term en ventre sa mere is used in legal contexts to refer to an unborn child and how the child's rights are protected even before they are born.