Legal Definitions - german

In legal contexts, the term german is an adjective used to describe individuals who share the same two biological parents or the same two sets of biological grandparents. It signifies a full and direct blood relationship, differentiating it from half-siblings (who share only one parent) or more distant relatives.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of this term:

• Estate Planning and Inheritance: Imagine a will that states, "Should my primary beneficiary predecease me, their share shall pass equally to their german siblings."

  This phrasing clarifies that only siblings who share *both* biological parents with the deceased primary beneficiary would be eligible to inherit. Any half-siblings, who share only one parent, would be excluded from this specific provision.

• Guardianship Proceedings: In a complex guardianship case where a child's parents have both passed away, a court might consider placing the child with their "grandparents german" if the child's maternal and paternal grandparents are also siblings.

  This would refer to the grandparents who are the biological parents of *both* of the child's deceased parents, emphasizing the closest possible direct familial link through both sides of the family, ensuring a shared heritage and a strong, direct bloodline connection.

• Historical Legal Documents: An ancient land deed might describe a property being jointly owned by "two sisters german."

  This indicates that the two sisters shared both the same mother and the same father, signifying a full blood relationship. Such a distinction could have been crucial in historical legal systems for determining rights of succession, property division, or social standing.