Dower is a wife’s interest in her husband’s real property upon his death. It entitles a surviving wife to a portion of her deceased husband’s real property during her lifetime to support herself and her children. Curtesy is a husband’s entitlement to a life estate in his deceased wife’s estate, but also requires that the couple have a living child capable of inheriting his/her mother’s estate. Dower and curtesy are common law doctrines, which have been abolished in most states and replaced with statutory law, which provide for a marital share with the same benefits regardless of gender.
