Legal Definitions - paternal-line descent

Paternal-line descent refers to the process of tracing a person's ancestry through their father's side of the family. It is a type of lineal descent, which means that it follows a direct or straight line from father to son or grandson.

For example, if John's father is named David, and David's father is named Michael, then John's paternal-line descent would be traced through David and Michael. This means that John is related to Michael as his grandfather, and David as his father.

Another example would be if Sarah's father is named James, and James's father is named William. Sarah's paternal-line descent would be traced through James and William, making William her grandfather and James her father.

Understanding paternal-line descent can be helpful in genealogy research, as it allows individuals to trace their family history through their father's side of the family.