The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The term “subject matter jurisdiction” refers to the fact that specific courts are established to handle cases pertaining to a particular type of claim. For example, subject matter jurisdiction in the U.S. means that courts are divided up into sections, such as civil law, family law, and criminal law. A court in one of these divisions is said to have […]
Read moreThe term “long arm statute” refers to the jurisdiction that one court can have over a defendant corporation that operates outside of the state. Any company that is located in one state, but does business in another, and hires people in yet another, can fall under the long arm statute. For example, the long arm statute would apply to corporations […]
Read moreThe term original jurisdiction refers to the question of which court has the authority (“jurisdiction’) to hear a legal case for the first time. For instance, family law court has the authority to hear a child custody case, but not to hear a burglary case. Therefore, the family law court has original jurisdiction. This is a distinction from other courts […]
Read moreJurisdiction is the authority granted by law to the courts to rule on legal matters and render judgments, according to the subject matter of the case, and the geographical region in which the issue took place. Areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal laws, which means that, for instance, a violation of federal law is tried in federal court. To explore this […]
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 moreArticle IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, known as the “Full Faith and Credit Clause,” requires each state to recognize the laws, judicial decisions, and public records of the other states. This section helps ensure that court decisions made in one state will be recognized and honored in every other state. One purpose for this is that it prevents […]
Read moreLitigation meaning in law When a person, business, or entity enters into a lawsuit, whether they have filed the lawsuit, or are responding to it, they are entering into a process known as “litigation.” Lawsuits or “actions” are brought before the court for the purpose of enforcing a particular right. The process of litigation is actually a series of steps […]
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