# What counts as an in-law?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685 "2004-11-19T17:36:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/1 "2004-11-19T17:36:38Z")

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I know, dumb question. But I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere.  
Specifically, I know that my husband’s sister is my sister-in-law, and her husband is my husband’s brother-in-law, but is my husband’s sister’s husband _my_ brother-in-law too?

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/2 "2004-11-19T17:43:36Z")

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Yes he is.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/3 "2004-11-19T18:58:08Z")

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To further push this thread:

How about my sister’s husband’s sister? As far as I can tell, there is no “in-law” relationship there.

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**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/4 "2004-11-19T20:53:11Z")

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To me, my in-laws are anyone that my spouse calls family.  
That would be my social definition.  
Is there a legal definition?

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/5 "2004-11-19T21:01:38Z")

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And what about my son’s wife’s mother? She’s not my mother-in-law. Saying sister-in-law implies some relation to a sibling, which she doesn’t have. My cross-law?

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**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/6 "2004-11-19T22:55:01Z")

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The concept of in-laws is a legal/social relationship. Mother/Father/Sister/Brother/Daughter/Son-laws have a traditionally recognized relationship/kinship next in importance after actual blood relationships in common law.

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**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-counts-as-an-in-law/275685/7 "2004-11-19T23:14:34Z")

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> [@Yllaria](#):
>
> And what about my son’s wife’s mother? She’s not my mother-in-law. Saying sister-in-law implies some relation to a sibling, which she doesn’t have. My cross-law?

In spanish, the word used is consuegro/a.  
As far as I know, we don’t have an english version of this relationship.