Glossary Of Basic Legal Terms

Lease: a legal agreement to lend/hire something to a third party.

Lemon Laws: laws that require manufactures to repair defective cars

Lessee: the person who hires something from a lessor

Lessor: the person who leases something

Liability: a duty or obligation for which you’re a legally responsible

Lien: is a charge over your property = such as a mortgage

Limited Liability Company : is a business that has shareholders who are limited in liability to the contribution of the fully paid up share

Living Will : is a legal document that sets out a person’s wishes should they become incapacitated

Maintenance: money paid to a spouse in the event of a divorce (also known as alimony)

Minor: a person under the legal age of consent (18)

Motion: a request made to a judge asking him to rule on an issue of law

Natural Person: an individual – as opposed to a company or partnership

Negligence: a failure to use a degree of care

Notary Public: person authorized to witness documents

Oath: to swear to tell the truth

Order: direction (written or oral) of a court

Petition: written application to the court asking the court to take action on a specific matter

Plaintiff: the person who starts/commences a lawsuit

Pleadings: applies in civil cases and are the allegations made by each of the parties to the case

Power of Attorney: a legal document authorizing another to act on you behalf

Probate: the legal process where the court oversees the distribution of property under a will

Proceedings: the process of a lawsuit

Promissory Note: a written document under which a person promises to pay another money on a given date and pursuant to specified terms set out in the promissory note (also known as a “PN”)

Quid Pro Quo: is a Latin term which means you’ll get something for having given something

Real Property: means land and all things attached to the land

Reasonable: means a level that an ordinary person would be expected to have, e.g. “reasonable care” means the level of care expected from a reasonable person

Reply: a plaintiff’s response to a defendant’s answer

Security Agreement: means a contract under which you agree to give security as collateral for a loan in the event that the loan is not repaid

Settlement: is an agreement or decision in a civil case

Shareholder: someone who hold shares in a limited company

Standard of Care: degree of care required to prevent injury to another

Statute of Limitations: is the period prescribed by law within which you have to file a lawsuit, otherwise you forfeit your right to being an action

Strict Liability: means that even if there is no proof of negligence, you can still be found guilty of an offence

Subpoena : legal order compelling you to appear in court

Summons: a legal document notifying you that a lawsuit has been initiated against you and how and where you must answer the claim

Testator: person who make a will

Tort : a civil wrong

Trust: property given to a trustee to manage on behalf of beneficiaries

Trustee: person charged with looking after property under trust

Verdict: formal decision by a jury/court on the facts of a case

Witness : a person who gives evidence in court under oath or who signs a document to testify/certify that the person who signed the document was who he claimed to be

Worker’s Compensation: paid to a worker who suffers a work related injury or illness

Writ: a judicial order

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