Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A personal statute is a law that primarily affects a person's condition or status, such as a law relating to capacity or majority, and affects property only incidentally. It is a type of civil law.
For example, a law that sets the age of majority at 18 years old is a personal statute. This law affects a person's status as a minor or an adult, but it only incidentally affects their property rights.
Another example of a personal statute is a law that determines the legal capacity of a person with a mental disability. This law affects the person's status and their ability to make legal decisions, but it only incidentally affects their property rights.