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While the Anglo-American system has largely adopted the Roman order of succession, many of the civil-law countries appear to have followed the Germanic system of parentelic order. The first parentela, or order, consists of the descendants of the decedent; the second, of his parents and their descendants collateral to the decedent; the third, of his grandparents and their descendants collateral to the decedent, etc. As long as there is any person standing in a nearer order, no person standing in a more remote one can succeed. In each parentela, persons of a lower grade exclude those of a higher grade. ...(100 of 12833 words)