Legal Dictionary of Pakistan
Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.
Curtesy
At common law, a husband's right, upon his wife's death, to a life estate in the land that his wife owned during their marriage, assuming that a child was born alive to the couple. ( This right has been largely abolished. Traditionally, the full phrase was estate by the curtesy of England. Cf. DOWER. curtesy consummate (kar-ta-see kan-samit). The interest the husband has in his wife's estate after her death. curtesy initiate (kar-ta-see i-nish-ee-it). The interest the husband has in his wife's estate after the birth of issue capable of inheriting, and before the death of the wife.
estate by curtesy
See ESTATE.