The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The Latin phrase inter vivos translates as “between persons.” In the legal system, an inter vivos trust is also known as a “living trust.” This type of trust is one that can distribute assets to a beneficiary either during the trustor’s lifetime, or after his death. The duration of such a trust is determined when the trust is created. An […]
Read moreLiquidated damages are damages that are specified by the parties to a contract as they are drawing up the contract. This part of a contract specifies that, in the event one party breaches the contract, he must pay a specified amount to the other party for his losses. In some cases, the specific amount to be paid as liquidated damages […]
Read moreThe term “mailbox rule” is most commonly found in areas of contract law. The mailbox rule helps to specify just when an offer is deemed to have been accepted for the purpose of the contract, when the acceptance of terms is sent by mail. According to this rule, acceptance of the deal is effective at the time the acceptance letter, […]
Read moreThe legal term gravamen is not used commonly, but it refers to the most pertinent part of a grievance, or of a legal complaint. The gravamen of a matter boils down to the essence, or core, of the complaint. For instance, to boil down the essence of a personal injury case, the gravamen might be the other driver’s negligence, which […]
Read moreThe Latin term mala prohibita translates to mean “wrong because it is prohibited.” This is used in the legal system in reference to acts that, while not necessarily wrong by their very nature – such as murder – are wrong because there are laws prohibiting it. Examples of mala prohibita acts include such things as failing to pay taxes, and […]
Read moreTo “enjoin” something means to legally forbid or put a stop to it, by an order of the court. For example, enjoin can refer to a husband seeking a court order to stop his wife from selling off their possessions while their divorce is in progress, so that she does not sell all of his stuff out of spite. The […]
Read moreThe Latin term mala in se translates to mean “wrong in itself,” or “evil in itself.” In the legal system, mala in se refers to acts that are inherently wrong, or an act that is wrong in and of itself. This is in contrast to mala prohibita, which is an act that is wrong because it is prohibited by law. […]
Read moreThe term “general deterrence” refers to the practice of instilling fear in people in the hopes that such fear will prevent them from committing crimes in the future. This is done by making an example of offenders through their punishments. The focus is not on the offender individually; rather, the offender is punished publicly to prevent others who may have […]
Read moreAn indeterminate sentence is a sentence that does not assign a set amount of jail time. For example, an indeterminate sentence specifies a range, such as “5 to 10 years,” or “15 years to life,” instead of sentencing someone to a set number of years in prison. An indeterminate sentence is the opposite of a determinate sentence, which assigns a […]
Read moreThe term “insider trading” is used to describe the buying and selling activities of an individual who has information about a stock that has not been made public. While the term is typically associated with illegal activity, insider trading can actually be done legally, depending on when the investor makes the trade. Insider trading is generally illegal due to the […]
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