Latin Legal Terms
Definitions and South-African-law usage notes for the Latin terms judges, lawyers, and textbooks routinely cite. Free, indexed, and updated as new terms are curated from our source library.
- arrhae sponsalitiaeThese payments are not in Latin but are related to the contractual obligations of a husband to his wife.
This phrase is used to describe the legal principle where a husband’s financial support or maintenance obligations towards his wife, which stems from matrimonial and family law principles. Such terms often reflect histor
#family-law#constitutional#civil-law - pater est quem nuptiae demonstrantThe father is he whom marriage indicates.
This maxim expresses the common-law presumption that a child born within a valid marriage is presumed to be the child of the husband. In South African law, it has historically been relevant in questions of legitimacy, pa
#persons#family-law - sponsalitia largitas (marriage with wealth)betrothal with generosity
Sponsalitia largitas refers to a situation where marriage involves the exchange of substantial financial gifts or dowries, typically between parties who are about to marry but may not have concluded their plans into matr
#family-law#matrimonial-property#inheritance