Issue (genealogy)

In genealogy and wills, a person's issue is defined as all their lineal descendants.

Lineal descendants Issue typically means a person's lineal descendants—all genetic descendants of a person−regardless of degree.Glenda K. Harnad, J. D. and Karl Oakes, J. D., Corpus Juris Secundum, Descent and Distribution § 35 (2015) Issue is a narrower category than heirs, which includes spouses, and collaterals (siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles).HEIR, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014). This meaning of issue arises most often in wills and trusts.For example, In re Auclair's Estate, 75 Cal. App. 2d 189, 170 P.2d 29 (1st Dist. 1945); Brawford v. Wolfe, 103 Mo. 391, 15 S.W. 426 (1891) A person who has no living lineal descendants is said to have died without issue.

A child or children are first-generation descendants and are a subset of issue.

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