in thinking that I am not related to my brother's wife's, brothers wife's, brother?

[2shoes]

cos he say's I am. I say I am not.

You can't be.
If Hallmark can't fit the words on a birthday card, it's not legally binding.

you aren't even related to your brother's wife's brother.

you brothers wife would be your sister - in law

that law being the contract of marriage.

her relatives are not related to you at all.

you are only related to her becuase of her marriage to your brother.

Your brother isn't either.

so If I did my family tree, would they be on it?

no

No, not unless the one at the end of the chain was wealthy, aristocratic or otherwise impressive. Then you might have a reason to squeeze them in. But there's no genetic or legal relationship between you and your SIL's SIL's brother.

They would be on your famiy tree if you were doing it properly. You could restrict it to your immediate family but if you want to include your children's grandparent's children then you would put them on. You could always leave your children's aunts and uncles off. Would you leave your own Siblings off?

it depends - are they offering to babysit? In which case definitely family, otherwise they can sod off.

I don't think you would for YOUR family tree. Your brother isn't even related to his SIL's brother, so he wouldn't even need to put him down. If you started doing that there would be no end to it. There was a news article recently about three celebs being distant relatives, but the thing is we're all related at some point.

Kewcumber

I don't even think I'm related to my husband's sister's husband

Twiglet, he is your BIL as he is your husbands BIL.

LOL at this thread. My DH claims not to be related to any member of my family (even I am only 'borrowing' his name apparently hmm]. Whereas I happily claim his cousins, their children, and any random relative who takes my fancy

Tinkerbelle .. I'm pretty sure he isn't ... in-law means there's some legal affiliation and not blood one and it's one step removed from me

so my husband's sister is my sister-in-law (due to marriage contract)

but her husband is nothing to me, although he is my husband's Brother-in-Law

surely?

No, I think he counts as an in-law himself via marriage to your husband's sister. Didn't it used to be the case that a married couple were regarded as one person, legally?

'use', probably.

my sil's dh is my bil

Yes, he is still your BIL. You are a unit so your relatives are the same to each other, just "in-law".

The legal affliation is your marriage to your husband and his to your husbands sister.

do you not like your BIL very much, Twig? Only you seem very keen to deny all affiliation with him...

s'odd isn't it? I nearly posted 'well he's an arse' but to be honest none of them are, they're all fairly nice chaps (I have 6 to choose from)

Well, you could be.

If your brother's wife's brother's wife married one of your relatives then yes you would be related to him

shit now twiglet has confused me