Final answer:
Fee simple refers to complete ownership of property, while life estate is limited to the duration of one's life. Dower is associated with life estates and ensures a widow's right to her husband's property after his death.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing property law and the types of estates, fee simple and life estate are key terms that come up. Fee simple refers to the most complete ownership of land possible. The owner has the right to use the land for any legal purpose and can dispose of the property through sale, transfer, or by will. On the other hand, a life estate is an interest in real property that lasts for the duration of a person's life. Upon the death of the life tenant, the property passes to another individual or reverts back to the grantor.
The term dower is associated with life estates. Dower refers to the rights that a widow has in her husband's estates upon his death. It was a way to provide for the wife after her husband's death with property usage for the rest of her life.
Sorting the terms accordingly:
Fee simple: Relevant to the most complete form of property ownership with full control and disposition rights.
Life estate and Dower: Relevant to the estates that last for the life of an individual or provide for a surviving spouse, respectively.