“Et ux.” is a Latin phrase meaning “and wife.” The phrase et ux. is often placed after a man’s surname when referring to a married couple. This phrase is usually used in legal documents, such as deeds, titles, or marriage certificates. In a legal context, the phrase is usually placed after the name of the husband, usually to indicate that the wife has certain rights to the property being discussed in the document.
For example, if a man named John Smith owns a house and is obtaining title insurance for it, the legal document would read: “John Smith et ux.,” to indicate that John Smith’s wife has certain rights and interests in the house. Generally, the wife would be given the same rights and interests in the property as her husband, but “et ux.” is used to explicitly note this.
It is important to note that “et ux.” does not have to be used in order for the wife to have rights to the property owned by her husband. When a man owns property, his wife is usually granted what is known as “dower rights,” meaning she is legally entitled to a share in the property whether or not “et ux.” is used in the title.
The phrase “et ux.” is a common indicator of the legal relationship between husband and wife, and can be frequently found on legal documents. It is essential for those handling legal documents to understand the implications of the phrase “et ux.” when seen in legal contexts.