Free of Dower and Curtesy
A historical phrase used in property deeds and wills. It means the property is being transferred without any marital ownership rights that a spouse might otherwise claim. Under dower and curtesy, when a spouse died, the other spouse was granted a “life estate” in the property the deceased spouse owned, meaning the surviving spouse could live on that land for the remainder of their lives. A transfer done free of dower or curtesy means that such rights do not exist.