Definition of "Right of dower"

A life estate right of a widow on the demise of her husband, if he dies intestate, to all his lands and possessions for her and her children's support. If she dissents from his will, the widow is entitled to one-third of all the assets of husband's estate. The right of dower has been abolished in almost all states and significantly changed in others.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Written agreement in which the lessee pays rent to the lessor for the use of real property for a stated time period. An example is the tenant's rental of an apartment or office space. ...

A step's edge. ...

List of business property. ...

Land zoned for industrial use including manufacturing, factory office and warehouse space, research and development. ...

Structure built into the water from the land providing a facility for boats to tie up. A dock will often provide utility access ...

Right of an individual to be offered something before it is offered to others. For example, a tenant whose apartment is going to be converted to a cooperative has the first right of ...

Situation in which a business debts exceed the fair market value of its assets. ...

The individual responsible for an escrow account. ...

A roof having two slopes on each side. The second slope is longer than the first part of the roof and extremely steep. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions