The life estate of a widow in the property of her husband At common law a wife had a life estate in one-third (in value) of the property of her husband who died without leaving a valid will or from whose will she dissented In many states common law dower has been abolished by statute or never has been recognized
Rights of a wife to one-third interest in all real property owned by her husband during the course of the marriage; wife must survive husband to be entitled to dower rights
The provision which the law makes for the support of a widow during her lifetime out of income produced by the real estate owned by her husband during the marriage This provision for the support of a widow is usually favored over the claims of her deceased husbands creditors
The interest enjoyed by a wife in real property her husband acquired during his life time The right becomes exercisable upon the death of the husband Dower still exists in some jurisdictions but has been abandoned in most
The legal right or interest, recognized in some states, that a wife acquires in the property her husband held or acquired during their marriage During the husband's lifetime the right is only a possibility of an interest; upon his death it can become an interest in land