Latin quote · Law
Ex lege
“By operation of law.”
Legal phrase
Translation
What does “Ex lege” mean?
Ex lege translates as “By operation of law.”
It describes rights or duties that arise directly from the law, without any agreement or act by the parties. Maintenance duties between parents and children arise ex lege.
Origin
The story behind it
A traditional phrase of civil-law writing, used to distinguish legal obligations from contractual ones.
When to use it
How to use “Ex lege”
Handy in a law exam to explain where an obligation comes from.
- Latin
- Ex lege
- English
- By operation of law.
- Source
- Legal phrase
- Era
- Legal Latin
- Theme
- Law
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