Legal Definitions - dos rationabilis

Definition: Dos rationabilis refers to a wife's right, under common law, to a life estate in one-third of the land that her husband owned in fee upon his death. This is also known as dower.

For example, if a husband owned a piece of land in fee and passed away, his wife would have the right to live on and use one-third of that land for the rest of her life.

While many states have abolished dower, some still retain the concept and have expanded the wife's share to a life estate in all the land that her husband owned in fee.

This concept is important because it provides some financial security for a wife in the event of her husband's death, ensuring that she has a place to live and some resources to support herself.