Legal Dictionary

lineal descendant

Legal Definition of lineal descendant

Noun

  1. A person who is a direct descendant such as a child to his or her natural parent.

Definition of lineal descendant

Further reading

A lineal descendant, in legal usage, refers to a blood relative in the direct line of descent. Re Smith's Estate, 343 Mich 291, 72 NW2d 287, 51 ALR2d 287. The children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of a person. 23 Am J2d Desc & D § 42.

Adopted children, for whom adoption statutes create the same rights of heirship as children of the body, come within the meaning of the term "lineal descendants," as used in a statute providing for the non-lapse of a devise where the devisee predeceases the testator but leaves lineal descendants. Hoellinger v Molzohn, 77 ND 108, 41 NW2d 217, 19 ALR2d 1147.

Compare with collateral descendant.

References:

  1. Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.



SHARE THIS PAGE

TOP LEGAL TERMS THIS WEEK
1.     lex causae
2.     lex fori
3.     landed property
4.     lex situs
5.     ownership
6.     conclusive presumption
7.     sabotage
8.     AORO
9.     lex loci delicti commissi
10.     Miranda warning