The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Ethical reasoning pertains to the rights and wrongs of human conduct. Each person has standards that are defined by their personal values which come into play when the person faces certain dilemmas or decisions. Commonly, ethical differences occur as a result of individual interpretation of a subject or event, or may be political or religious in nature. To explore this […]
Read moreMost trials begin with an attorney for each side making statements directly to the jury, or judge in a bench trial, explaining what each intends to prove during the trial proceedings. The trial then ends with the attorneys addressing the judge or jury in a “closing argument,” which has the larger goal of swaying the jury to their side. Trials […]
Read moreAn official order handed down by a government agency or court directing a person or entity to stop doing something immediately is called a “cease and desist order.” Such an order effectively places an injunction on the person or entity that prohibits the named activity as suspicious or illegal. Cease and desist orders may also be issued to force a […]
Read moreDefamation meaning in law Defamation is a legal term that refers to any statement made by a person, whether verbal or printed, that causes harm to another person’s reputation or character. A defamatory statement made in writing, or “published,” it is considered “libel,” a defamatory statement that is spoken is considered “slander.” Defamation is not considered a criminal act, but […]
Read moreIn the event that one party to a civil lawsuit or other civil court action fails to appear at a scheduled hearing, or fails to respond to a summons after having been officially served, the other party may be awarded the judgment they are seeking. Default judgments are most often awarded to plaintiffs when the defendant fails to respond, but […]
Read moreEstoppel meaning in law The legal principal of estoppel keeps a party from alleging a fact or acting in a certain way, then attempting to claim something in opposition to that fact or action later in the proceeding to suit their purposes. In other words, a party cannot deny a fact that has already been settled as truth. The truth […]
Read moreThe right to maintain possession of property belonging to an individual until such time as a debt has been repaid is referred as a “lien.” A lender, service person, or other entity may place a lien against a piece of real or personal property to ensure they do not suffer a financial loss should the individual fail to pay. The […]
Read moreGeneral Jurisdiction refers to a court that holds the authority to hear all types of cases except those prohibited by the laws in that state. Case types include civil, criminal, family, probate, and others. While each state has a system that establishes trial courts of general jurisdiction, federal courts do not have general jurisdiction, as they are limited to hearing […]
Read moreThe legal term in rem jurisdiction refers to whether or not the court has jurisdiction over the subject matter or item that is the subject of the legal action. Legal actions, such as civil lawsuits and injunctions must be heard by the court that has jurisdiction over the geographical area in which the item is located or action took place. […]
Read moreThe legal term in pari delicto is most commonly used in situations when both parties to a civil lawsuit are equally at fault for the wrongdoing. It basically means that, because both parties are equally to blame, the court will side with neither party. If the dispute is over possession of an item, the party in possession of the item […]
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