Kollateraaliset

Kollateraaliset refers to collateral relatives in Finnish. This term encompasses individuals who are related to a person through a common ancestor, but are not in a direct line of descent. The most common examples of collateral relatives are siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. In legal and inheritance contexts, collateral relatives are often considered when determining who is entitled to an inheritance if there are no direct descendants or a spouse. The degree of kinship is typically calculated by counting the number of generations between the common ancestor and each relative. For instance, siblings share both parents as their common ancestors, while cousins share grandparents. Understanding collateral relationships is important for genealogical research and for navigating family law matters. The term is derived from the Latin word "collateralis," meaning "by the side."