Legal Definitions - cui in vita

Definition: Cui in vita (pronounced kI or kwI or kwee in vI-tuh) is a legal term that refers to a writ of entry that allows a woman to recover land that she owned in fee but that her deceased husband sold without her permission. The writ is named after the words used in it, which mean "whom she, in his lifetime, could not gainsay."

Example: If a woman's husband sold her land without her permission while he was alive, she could use a cui in vita writ to recover the land after his death. The writ would state that during her husband's lifetime, she was unable to object to the sale.

This legal term is not commonly used today, but it was an important tool for widows in the past who wanted to protect their property rights.