Legal Definitions - uterine

The term uterine describes a specific familial relationship between siblings. It refers to individuals who share the same biological mother but have different biological fathers. These siblings are often called maternal half-siblings.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of the term:

• Example 1 (Family Law and Inheritance): Consider a situation where a woman, Maria, has a daughter named Sofia with her first husband, Robert. After divorcing Robert, Maria later marries Michael and has a son named Leo. Sofia and Leo are uterine siblings because they share Maria as their mother but have different fathers (Robert and Michael, respectively). In legal contexts, such as determining inheritance or establishing family trees for legal purposes, this specific relationship might be noted to clarify lineage.

• Example 2 (Medical History): When a doctor gathers a patient's family medical history, they might inquire about siblings, including uterine siblings. For instance, if a patient, David, has a uterine sister, Clara (meaning they share the same mother but different fathers), any health conditions Clara has that are known to be passed down through the maternal line could still be relevant to David's own health risk assessment, even though they do not share a father.

• Example 3 (Social and Personal Relationships): In a blended family, a mother might have a child, Emily, from a previous relationship. She then marries a new partner and has another child, Tom, with him. Emily and Tom are uterine siblings. They share a mother and often grow up in the same household, forming a close bond, but their paternal heritage is distinct. This term precisely defines their biological connection.