Descendants are those who are the issue of an individual, such as children, grandchildren, and their children, to the remotest degree. Descendants are those in a descending line of birth from an individual, rather than an ascending line, such as to the parents of the individual. Determining who a person’s descendants are is commonly necessary to determine who is entitled to share in the estate of a person who dies without a will.

A lineal descendant is a direct descendant of a person. A person in direct line of blood relationship following downwards from an individual concerned, starting from his children, grand children and great grand children, are called lineal descendants of an individual.