law of status:
(1846)

1. The category of law dealing with personal or nonproprietary rights, whether in rem or in personam.  *  It is one of the three departments into which civil law is divided, the other two departments being:

Law of Property – the category of law dealing with proprietary rights in rem (relating to “things”), such as personal servitudes, predial servitudes, and rights of real security.

Law of Obligations – the category of law dealing with the modes of acquiring property in personam (relating to persons), particularly relations between the obligor and the obligee.