A written statement filed in court or an appeal that explains a party`s legal and factual arguments. You`ve probably heard the metaphor “Everything is Greek to me” when someone doesn`t understand a topic or situation or is completely baffled. The law is “Greek” to many people: it is often misunderstood and legal terminology is misused by most people. A court decision in a previous case with facts and points of law similar to a dispute currently pending in court. Judges generally “follow precedents,” that is, they use principles established in previous cases to decide new cases that have similar facts and raise similar legal issues. A judge will disregard precedents if a party can prove that the previous case was ill-decided or that it differs significantly from the current case. The study of the law and the structure of the legal system gives instructions from the judge to the jury before it begins its deliberations on the factual questions to be answered and the legislation to be applied. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the leading source of free legal information and resources on the Internet. Contact us. FindLaw.com Free and reliable legal information for consumers and legal professionals A legal procedure to deal with the debt problems of individuals and businesses; in particular, a case filed under one of the chapters of title 11 of the United States Code.

Misconduct: Doing something illegal or morally wrong. Misconduct includes dishonesty and abuse of power. As a paralegal, you need to familiarize yourself with legal terms, and especially terms used in the area of law in which you end up working. If you work for a public defender, prosecutor or criminal defence lawyer, you will be dealing with more criminal terms. When working with companies, you need to focus on company law, contract conditions, and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). The same principle applies to cooperation with tax lawyers, family law or inheritance law. Understanding legal terminology is essential to understanding the law itself and its proper application in research, legal analysis, document creation, and compliance with local, state, and federal justice systems. Non-insolvency proceedings in which an applicant or creditor attempts to submit its claim to a debtor`s future wages. In other words, the creditor requests that part of the debtor`s future salary be paid to him for a debt owed to him. Written statements submitted to the court outlining a party`s legal or factual allegations about the case. Note: A strong brand has higher brand protection than a weak brand. A full-time lawyer hired by federal courts to legally defend defendants who cannot afford a lawyer.

The judiciary administers the Federal Defence Counsel Programme in accordance with criminal law. LawInfo.com National Directory of Lawyers and Consumer Legal Resources All of the debtor`s interests in the assets at the time of bankruptcy. The estate technically becomes the temporary legal owner of all of the debtor`s assets. n. Evidence in a trial that does not come directly from an eyewitness or participant and that requires justification to prove a fact. The public is under the impression that this evidence is weak (“all it has is circumstantial evidence”), but the likely conclusion drawn from the circumstances may be so strong that there can be little doubt about a material fact (“beyond a reasonable doubt” in a criminal case and “preponderance of the evidence” in a civil proceeding). Especially in criminal cases, “eyewitness” evidence (“I saw Frankie shoot Johnny”) is often lacking and can be unreliable, so circumstantial evidence becomes indispensable. Previous threats against the victim, fingerprints found at the crime scene, possession of the murder weapon and the accused seen in the neighborhood certainly suggest that the suspect is the murderer, but any evidence is circumstantial. Governmental body empowered to settle disputes. Judges sometimes use the term “court” to refer to themselves in the third person, as in “the court read the pleadings.” Imprisonment for two or more offences to be served simultaneously and not consecutively. Example: Two five-year prison sentences and a three-year term if served at the same time result in a maximum of five years behind bars.

Offence: According to the French word for “evil” is a tortious or illegal act, whether intentional or accidental, which causes harm to others. An intentional offence can also be a crime, such as assault, fraud or theft. Tort law is one of the largest areas of civil law. “Strong brand Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/legal/strong%20mark. Retrieved 5 November 2022. Abogado.com The #1 Spanish Legal Site for Consumers Civil Law: 1) An umbrella term for any non-criminal law, usually for the resolution of disputes between individuals or companies. 2) A set of laws and legal concepts derived from Roman law instead of English common law. (English common law is the foundation of state legal systems in the United States, with the exception of Louisiana.) Other commonly confused terms are assault and assault. A man who has just been beaten by another man may shout that he has been attacked. In fact, the presence of actual physical contact means that he was beaten. If you have trouble remembering, you can think of it this way: if you are physically hit by a baseball bat, you have been beaten.

Title search: A review of public records to determine the status of a title and confirm that the seller of a property is the rightful owner. A cloud on title such as a lien, an unregistered owner or different property descriptions on previous deeds can be a reason to cancel the purchase of a property. The legal power of a court to hear and decide a particular type of case. It is also used as a synonym for jurisdiction, i.e. the geographical area over which the court has territorial jurisdiction to rule on cases. In criminal law, the constitutional guarantee that an accused receives a fair and impartial trial. In civil law, the legal rights of a person who is confronted with an adverse act that threatens liberty or property. The wording of the act is changing.

Many lawyers now adopt a simple English style. But there are still legal phrases that baffle non-lawyers. This guide is intended to help in two ways: The FindLaw Legal Dictionary – free access to over 8260 definitions of legal terms.