Et Vir

These abbreviations show up on older deeds, tax rolls, and title commitments, from an era when the county clerk's index had room for one name. They matter because a deed tells the title company who must sign to sell. If the record shows a grantee 'et vir' or 'et ux,' both spouses were owners, and both, or their estates, must be accounted for in the chain of title.

That is where heirs run into it. An inherited house whose last deed reads 'John Doe et ux' may require proof of what happened to the wife's interest: a death certificate, a probate file, or a survivorship affidavit, depending on how the couple held title in that state. Modern deeds name both spouses in full, so a title search that turns up et vir or et ux is a signal to pull the older records early rather than discover the gap a week before closing. Cash buyers who work estates see this routinely and usually know which curative document the title company will want.