CHILDREN - Black's Law Dictionary

Progeny

Child of tender age or years
Such a child must be less than 14 years old. Barnhill's Adm'r v. Mt. Morgan Coal Co., D.C.Ky., 215 F. 608, 610. A minor more than 15 years of age is not included within the meaning of the term. Paulk & Fossil v. Lee, 31 Ga.App. 629, 121 S.E. 845.

Child's Part
A "child's part," which a widow, by statute in some states, is entitled to take in lieu of dower or the provision made for her by will, is a full share to which a child of the decedent would be entitled, subject to the debts of the estate and the cost of administration up to and including distribution. Benedict v. Wilmarth, 46 Fla. 535, 35 So. 84.

Illegitimate Child
A bastard (q. v.).

Legitimate Child
One born in lawful wedlock.

Natural Child
A bastard (q. .v.); a child born out of lawful wedlock. But in a statute declaring that adopted shall have all the rights of "natural" children, the word "natural" was used in the sense of "legitimate." Barns v. Allen, 9 Am.Law Reg., 0.S., 747. In Louisiana. Illegitimate children who have been acknowledged by the father. Civ.Code La. art. 202. In. the civil law. A child by natural relation or procreation; a child by birth, as distinguished from a child by adoption. Inst. 1, 11, pr.; Id. 3, 1, 2; Id. 3, 8 pr. See, also, Conner v. Parsley, 192 Ky. 827, 234 S.W. 972, 974; Middletown Trust Co. v. Gaffey, 96 Conn. 61, 112 A. 689, 691. A child by concubinage, in contradistinction to a child by marriage. Cod. 5, 27.

Posthumous Child
One born after the father's death.

Quasi Posthumous Child
In the civil law. One who, born during the life of his grandfather, or other male ascendant, was not his heir at the time he made his testament, but who by the death of his father became his heir in his life time. Inst. 2, 13, 2; Dig. 28, 3, 13.

The word "child" in statutes often means either child or children. Cunningham v. Dunn, 84 W.Va. 593, 100 S.E.
410, 411. See Children.

"Children" is ordinarily a word of description, limited to persons standing in the same relation, and has the same effect as if all the names were given. Rowley v. Currie, 94 N.J.Eq. 606, 120 A. 653, 656.

The words "child or children," in their usual sense, are words of purchase. Phillips v. Mercantile Trust Co. of Baltimore, 195 A. 394, 395, 173 Md. 290; Kelly v. Kelly, 176 Ark. 548, 3 S.W.2d 305; Deener v. Watkins, 191 Ark. 776, 87 S.W.2d 994, 995; they may, however, be used as words of limitation, Bonds v. Hutchison, 199 S.C. 197, 18 S. E 2d 661, 662, 663; Crawford v. Withrow, 314 Pa. 497, 171
A. 894, 895; Young v. Munsey Trust Co., 72 App.D.C. 73, 111 F.2d 514, 515.

The terms "child" .or "children" may include or apply to :

Adopted children, Dyer v. Lane, 202 Ark. 571, 151 S.W.2d 678, 680; Ex parte Cline, 213 Ala. 599, 105 So. 686, 687., Ryan v. Foreman, 262 Ill. 175, 104 N.E. 189; but some decisions hold that adapted children are not included in absence of manifest intention, Savells v. Brown's Guardian, 187 Ky. 134, 218 S.W. 462, 463; Melek v. Curators of University of Missouri, 213 Mo.App. 572, 250 S.W. 614, 615; for cases holding that "child" or "children" does not include adopted children, see Everitt v. LaSpeyre, 195 Ga. 377, 24 S.E.2d 381, 383; Moffet v. Cash, 346 Ill. 287, 178 N. E. 658, 659; In re Sandford's Estate, 160 Misc. 898, 290 N. Y.S. 959, 960; Adult child, Mindlin v. Consolidated Taxpayers Mut. Ins. Co., 173 Misc. 961, 19 N.Y.S.2d 340, 342; State ex rel. Buerk v. Calhoun, 330 Mo. 1172, 52 S.W.2d 742, 83 A.L.R. 1393; after born child, Westport PaperBoard Co. v. Staples, 127 Conn. 115, 15 A.2d 1, 5; contra, Albers v. Donovan, 371 Ill. 458, 21 N.E.2d 563, 565; all lineal descendants. Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Park, 307 Mass. 255, 29 N.E.2d 977, 980; blood relations. In re Fletcher's Estate, 103 Pa.Super. 69, 157 A. 810, 811; child by second marriage, Nelson v. Estill, 175 Ga. 526, 165 S.E. 820, 823; child that would inherit from an intestate parent, In re Gossett's Estate, 46 N.M. 344, 129 P.2d 56, 58, 60, 142 A.L.R. 1441; child en ventre sa mere, Valley Nat. Bank v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 57 Ariz. 276, 113 P.2d 359, 361: Thomson v. Elliott', 152 Misc. 188, 273 N.Y.S. 898; children born in wedlock. Bell v. Phyn, 7 Ves. 458; In re Silva's Estate, 32 Ariz. 573, 261 P. 40, 41. Children by former marriage, In re Freisinger's Will, 263 App. Div. 970, 33 N.Y.S.2d 196, 197; children by various marria g es of parent named, McMullen v. Block, Tex.Civ.App., 168 S.W.2d 667, 670; children in first degree. In re Brown's Estate, 133 Misc. 587, 233 N.Y.S. 426, 430; Children regardless of age, Citizens' Bank of Lancaster v. Foglesong, 326 Mo. 581, 31 S.W.2d 778, 783; correlative of "parent;" descendant or descendants of first degree, Benners v. First Nat. Bank of Birmingham, 247 Ala. 74, 22 So.2d 435, 442; first degree descendants, Spencer v. Title Guarantee Loan & Trust Co., 222 Ala. 485, 132 So. 730, 731; first generation of offspring. New York Life Ins. Co. v. Beebe, D.C.Md., 57 F.Supp. 754, 757.

Grandchildren, Holbrook v. Shepard, 245 N.Y. 618, 157 N. E. 882; Tucker v. Tucker, 259 Ky. 361, 82 S.W.2d 458, 459, 460; Cherokee Brick Co. v. Bishop, 156 Tenn. 168, 299 S. W. 770; but, ordinarily, grandchildren are not included, Lowrey v. Le Fiore, 48 Okl. 235, 149 P. 1112, 1114, Ann. Cas.1918E, 1001; Sabit v. Safe Deposit & Trust Co. of Baltimore, 184 Md. 24, 40 A.2d 231, 238; In re Blodgett's Will, 250 App.Div. 324, 294 N.Y.S. 358, 366; as used in deeds or wills especially, the term "children" will not be construed to mean grandchildren, unless a strong case of intention or context requires it. Greenfield v. Lauritson, 306 Ill. 279, 137 N.E. 818, 819; Davis v. Mitchell, Tenn. App.,. 178 S.W.2d 889, 904; In re Reed's Estate, 342 Pa. 54, 19 A.2d 365, 366.

Heirs or heirs of the body, Beall v. Beall, 331 Ill. 28, 162 N.E. 152, 154 ; Schwarz v. Rabe, 129 Kan. 430, 283 P. 642, 643 ; Conover v. Code, 184 Ind. 604, 112 N.E. 7, 12 ; Darragh v. Barmore, Tex.Com.App., 242 S.W. 714, 718; but the intention to use "children" in the sense of "heirs" must be made clear. Farrell v. Faries, Del., 22 A.2d 380, 384, 385. So, too, the term "heirs" may mean "children," Albers v. Donovan, 371 Ill. 458, 21' N.E.2d 563. 565; Lane v. Citizen's & Southern Nat. Bank, 195 Ga. 828, 25 S.E.2d
800, 804; but the intention to so use the word must be manifest. Welles v. Pape, 63 Ohio App. 432, 27 N.E.2d 169, 172; For cases holding that "heirs" does not mean "children" see Erwin Nat. Bank v. Riddle, 18 Tenn.App. 561, 79 S.W.2d 1032, 1038; Triplett v. Triplett, 332 Mo. 870, 60 S.W.2d 13, 15.

Illegitimate children, State ex rel. Herbert v. Hocking Valley Mining Co., 73 Ohio App. 483, 57 N.E.2d 236, 238; In re Anonymous, 165 Misc. 62, 300 N.Y.S. 292; but other decisions have held that the terms exclude illegitimate children, Bank of Montclair v. McCutcheon, 107 N.J.Eq. 564, 152 A. 379, 380; Jacobs v. United States, C.C.A.La., 112 F. 2d 51; Gee v. Commonwealth, 263 Ky. 808, 94 S.W.2d 17, 19; illegitimate children that have been acknowledged or adopted, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. v. Marshall, C.C.A. Wash., 102 F.2d 78, 81; Jenkins v. City of Los Angeles, 60 Cal.App.2d 50, 40 P.2d 45, 46; Hastings v. Rathbone, 194 Iowa, 177, 188 N.W. 960, 962, 23 A.L.R. 392; immediate offspring or progeny, McQueen v. Stephens, Tex.Civ.App., 100 S.W.2d 1053, 1055; In re Conant's Estate, 144 Misc. 743, 259 N.Y.S. 885; infant offspring. In re Berg's Estate, 72 N. D. 52, 4 N.W.2d 575, 580, 140 A.L.R. 1312; Issue, Woodley v. Howse, 133 Kan. 639, 3 P.2d 475, 476; Hodge v. Lovell's Trustee, 262 Ky. 509, 90 S.W.2d 683, 686. So too, "issue" may mean "children." Pierson v. Jones, 108 N.J.Eq. 453, 155 A. 541, 542; In re Morningstar's Will, 143 Misc. 620, 257 N.Y.S. 240, 249. Legitimate children, Dunlavy v. Lowrie, 372 Ill. 622, 25 N.E.2d 67 71: Town of Plymouth v. Hey, 285 Mass. 357, 189 N.E. 100, 101; Middleton v. Luckenbach S. S. Co., C.C.A.N.Y., 70 F.2d 326, 328; legitimated child, Brown v. Shwinogee, 128 Okl. 149, 261 P. 920, 921; living children, In re Schuette's Estate, 138 Neb. 568, 293 N.W. 421, 422; Ward v. Ward, 176 Ga. 849, 169 S.E. 120, 121, 122; male or female, Turner v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 56 Cal.App.2d 862, 133 P.2d 859, 861; Curtis v. Safe Deposit & Trust Co. of Baltimore, 178 Md. 360, 13 A.2d 546, 548; married child, Killian v. Burnham, 191 Okl. 248, 130 P.2d 538, 539; In re Drye, 250 Mich. 210, 229 N.W. 623, 625; minor or minors. Walsh v. Walsh, Cal.App., 108 P.2d 763, 764; State v. Flath, 59 N.D. 121, 228 N.W. 847, 849; "natural born children." In re Corr's Estate, 338 Pa. 337, 12 A.2d 76, 78; natural offspring of parentage, In re Wait's Estate, Sur., 42 N.Y.S.2d 735, 738, 739; offspring of either sex and of any age, Morris v. Williams, Tex.Civ.App., 92 S.W.2d 541, 544; opposite of "adult," Miller v. Finegan, 26 Fla. 29, 7 So. 140, 6 L.R.A. 813; Potter v. Golden Rule Grocery Co., 169 Tenn. 240,
84 S.W.2d 364, 365; person under age of 18 years, State v. Flath, 59 N. D. 121, 228 N.W. 847, 848; person under age of majority, Wade v. State, 24 Ala.App. 176, 132 So. 71, 72; posthumous child, Travelers Ins. Co. v. Dudley, 180 Tenn. 191, 173 S.W.2d 142, 144; posthumous, illegitimate child, Morgan v. Susino Const. Co., 130 N.J.L. 418, 33 A.2d 607, 610.

Contra, Gierak v. Lehigh & Wilkes Barre Coal Co., 101 Pa.Super. 397, 399; Staker v. Industrial Commission of Ohio, 127 Ohio St. 13, 186 N.E. 616; quick child, Guiffrida v. State, 61 Ga.App. 595, 7 S.E.2d 34, 35; sons and daughters, Kimberlin v. Hicks, 150 Kan. 449. 94 P.2d 335, 340; Stepchildren, Newark Paving Co. v. Klotz, 85 N.J.Law, 432, 91 A. 91, 92; Travelers Ins. Co. v. E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., Del., 1 Terry 285, 9 A.2d 88, 91.

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That's the definition of CHILDREN in Black's Law Dictionary - Legal dictionary - Glossary of legal terms. Courtesy of Cekhukum.com.