Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A relative is someone who is related to you by blood or marriage. This means they are part of your family. Relatives can be your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even your in-laws. There are different types of relatives, such as those who share the same ancestors or those who are related by marriage. Some relatives are closer to you than others, but they are all part of your family and can be important in your life.
A relative is a person who is connected to another person by blood or marriage. This means they are family members. There are different types of relatives:
These different types of relatives help us understand how people are related to each other. For example, if someone says "my cousin," we know that person is a collateral relative. If someone says "my half-brother," we know that person is a relative of the half blood.
Understanding who our relatives are is important for many reasons. We may want to stay in touch with family members, learn about our family history, or make important decisions about inheritance or medical care.
Examples:
These examples illustrate how different types of relatives are related to each other. For example, a cousin is a collateral relative because they are not in the direct line of descent. A sister-in-law is a relative by affinity because they are related through marriage.