Glossary

Legal glossary

763 definitions · page 10 of 13.

Legal Terms - Signature Card: Signature Card information: A bank will obtain and keep a "card" containing signature examples of the owners of a particular account. The record is kept for the purpose of identifying those persons who have authority to transact business in the account and…
Legal Terms - Signature Loan: Signature Loan information: An agreement to lend money to another taking no security for the loan other than the written promise, signed by the borrower, that the borrower will repay.
Legal Terms - Simultaneous Death Act: Simultaneous Death Act information: A uniform act, now adopted in most states, that states a person must survive a decedent by at least 120 hours to avoid disputes in the nature of who died first.
Legal Terms - Simultaneous Death Clause: Simultaneous Death Clause information: A provision commonly found in wills whereby the testator provides for the contingency of a death of the beneficiary coincident with the testator, or where the order of the deaths cannot be determined. The provisions…
Legal Terms - Skip Tracers & Skip Tracing: Skip Tracers & Skip Tracing Information: Skip Tracing is one of the basic elements of investigation utilized by private investigators and police agencies in order to find missing persons. Skip Tracing refers to the art of finding persons, such as lost…
Legal Terms - Slander: Slander information: A verbal statement that is defamatory. Slander is a civil wrong for which the court is open.
Legal Terms - Slander of Title: Slander of Title information: A false statement made by the defendant that puts into question an otherwise good title to plaintiff's ownership interest in property, particularly title to real property. A disparagement of title.
Legal Terms - Slander per quod: Slander per quod information: In slander cases, per quod refers to that type of slanderous words that are not slanderous in themselves, but and the means by which damage was caused. Per quod is Latin for whereby. Thus, in a slander per quod case the…
Legal Terms - Slander per se: Slander per se information: In slander cases, per se refers to that type of slanderous words that are slanderous in and of themselves, because of their very slanderous meaning. Damages are assumed in such cases. Thus, in a slander per se case the plaintiff…
Legal Terms - Slip and Fall Case: Slip and Fall Case information: A premises liability tort claim, made against an owner, or person in control of the premises, based on an injury suffered by a person on the premises. This is the classic banana peel case. Plaintiff must show that the premises…
Legal Terms - Small Claims Court: Small Claims Court information: A civil court of smallest jurisdiction in terms of what amount the court can award. Usually parties appear without counsel and the judge is not strictly limited by the rules of evidence. No record is kept of the proceedings…
Legal Terms - Sobriety Checkpoint: Sobriety Checkpoint information: Location where police are staged to check the sobriety of drivers.
Legal Terms - Social Security: Social Security information: A government sponsored insurance program providing old-age benefits for retirees and their survivors, disability insurance for workers, and survivor benefits for dependents.
Legal Terms - Social Security Disability Claims: Social Security Disability Claims Information: The Social Security Act allows for periodic monthly payments to be made to persons deemed, or who can prove, that they are entitled to the payments by virtue of a disability that substantially disqualifies them…
Legal Terms - Social Security Tax: Social Security Tax Information: This is a retirement fund tax that was originally set up by the federal government in 1935 in response to The Great Depression. The Social Security tax is levied on employed persons and employers will contribute as well…
Legal Terms - Sodomy: Sodomy information: Oral or anal copulation between human beings, or carnal copulation against nature, or with beasts.
Legal Terms - Sole Proprietorship: Sole Proprietorship information: A business owned by one person that is not a corporation.
Legal Terms - Solicitor General: Solicitor General information: The lawyer that presents cases in Federal Court on behalf of the executive branch of government. This is the second highest ranking legal officer in the nation.
Legal Terms - Specific Intent: Specific Intent information: A mental state in criminal law. In stealing, for example, the state must show the intent to steal the property, not just the simple act of stealing.
Legal Terms - Specific Performance: Specific Performance information: A remedy available in some contract actions wherein a party may seek an order from the court requiring the other party to perform the letter of the contract. This remedy may be appropriate where money damages cannot…
Legal Terms - Spite Fence: Spite Fence information: A rare concept in real estate law. A spite fence is a fence or barrier erected by a neighbor for no other reason than to annoy and frustrate a neighbor, such as to block a view, to create shade where sunlight once was.
Legal Terms - Spousal Abuse: Spousal Abuse information: Misuse and maltreatment of a spouse, either by physical mistreatment or psychological abuse.
Legal Terms - Spouse Abandonment: Spouse Abandonment information: Leaving a spouse without support.
Legal Terms - Squatter: Squatter information: In real estate law, a squatter is a person that simply takes up residence, or occupies, a piece of real property, without any type of legal claim or right or title in the property. Even though a squatter's possession is unlawful, they…
Legal Terms - Standard Deduction: Standard Deduction Information: The Standard Deduction for taxpayers is really an alternative to taking an itemization of particular and specific deductions. So, for a single taxpayer the standard deduction is less than the standard deduction for head of…
Legal Terms - Standard Mileage Rate: Standard Mileage Rate Information: The Standard Mileage Rate is set by the Tax Code and is raised from time to time. The rate is set at so many cents per mile driven in pursuit of a business that the taxpayer owns or for certain other allowable mileage…
Legal Terms - Stare Decisis: Stare Decisis information: To follow, or abide by, decided case law. This is the source of the common law tradition.
Legal Terms - State Court: State Court information: A court with limits of jurisdiction bound by the state in which it sits. This is a court set up by a state's constitution.
Legal Terms - Statute: Statute information: Laws passed by the legislature, Federal or State, that are signed into law.
Legal Terms - Statute of Limitations: Statute of Limitations information: A time limit on the filing of certain cases, usually stated in years. This is also called the limit of legal memory, after which a case cannot be brought.
Legal Terms - Stirpes: Stirpes information: The root stem, so to speak. This is taking by virtue of being a descendant.
Legal Terms - Stock: Stock information: The essential and basic increment of ownership in a corporation. Companies issue stock to raise money for many purposes, including expansion, equipment upgrades, or other costly developments.
Legal Terms - Strict Liability: Strict Liability information: A person or company that manufactures or sells a product in a defective condition, such that it is unreasonably dangerous to the ordinary user, may be liable for any resulting property damage or physical injuries.
Legal Terms - Structured Settlement Broker Information: Structured Settlement Broker Information: A structured settlement broker is a financial professional well versed in the arranging a settlement through periodic payments from one party to the other, to be made over an extended period of time, rather than in…
Legal Terms - Structured Settlement Information: Structured Settlement Information: A structured settlement is a means of obtaining payment on a claim in several installments rather in one lump sum. The payments in the structured settlement can be very creatively arranged and many cases are resolved using…
Legal Terms - Sublease: Sublease information: A transfer of re-lease of one tenant's rights to another tenant.
Legal Terms - Subpoena: Subpoena information: An order requiring the witness to appear at a certain place at a certain time to give testimony.
Legal Terms - Subpoena duces tecum: Subpoena duces tecum information: An order requiring the witness to bring documents in the witnesses possession or control to a certain place at a certain time. The subpoena must be personally served.
Legal Terms - Subrogation: Subrogation information: The substitution of one for another. In insurance, one company paying damages to its insured may be substituted to an extent and be able to seek recovery from a third party that caused the damages the insured suffered.
Legal Terms - Substantial Performance: Substantial Performance information: In contract and construction law, payment may be due when the project is substantially complete. The paying person may legitimately deduct from the payment the cost of completion.
Legal Terms - Succession: Succession information: Taking over the office or rank of another, by a normal process.
Legal Terms - Sum Certain: Sum Certain information: A fixed amount, or settled amount, of money that is owed between the parties. The parties may be arguing about whether the sum is owed, but the sum itself is not in question.
Legal Terms - Summary Judgment: Summary Judgment information: The court may be asked to rule in situations where one party alleges there is no fact in dispute by means of admissible evidence. If the other party cannot controvert the issue, summary judgment may be entered, disposing of that…
Legal Terms - Summons: Summons information: The initial notice to the defendant that he or she has been sued and that there is a time limit on responding.
Legal Terms - Sunset Law: Sunset Law information: A law that expires by its terms at a particular time unless re-enacted.
Legal Terms - Sunshine: Sunshine Law information: A law that requires openness from the government. AKA open meetings law.
Legal Terms - Superfund: Superfund information: This is the common name for a Federal Government regulated trust fund, financed by taxes on chemical and petroleum products, that is designated to identify and pay for environmental cleanup, until the liable parties pay up and…
Legal Terms - Supremacy Clause: Supremacy Clause information: Constitutionally founded principle that requires Federal law to be supreme if in conflict with a State law in the same area. Therefore, postmen need not be state licensed drivers, but they must obey state traffic law.
Legal Terms - Supreme Court: Supreme Court information: Constitutionally founded highest court in the land.
Legal Terms - Surety: Surety information: One who stands for the debt of another in case the other fails to pay, without having participated in the consideration for the debt. A surety is like a guarantor, or co-signer on a loan, but really is primarily liable on the debt.
Legal Terms - Tacking: Tacking information: Refers to the joining together of successive time periods such that someone can claim the entire period applies. For example, in adverse possession cases, the present possessor may be able to add the time spent in possession by the prior…
Legal Terms - Tail: Tail information: In real property law, a Tail refers to the limitation found in deeds that describes or limits those who can inherit the property. For example, a "tail male" limits the inheritance to male heirs, and a "tail female" is a limitation to female…
Legal Terms - Taking: Taking information: In condemnation practice, this is the actual wresting of ownership in land from an individual to the government, for some public purpose.
Legal Terms - Tangible Property: Tangible Property information: The class of property that has a physical form that can be described objectively. Tangible personal property can be weighed, measured, counted, etc.
Legal Terms - Tariff: Tariff information: A tax that is imposed on the import or export of goods into a country. This is an indirect tax and the cost of the goods ultimately includes the tax. Since it is embedded in the price, the tax paid by the consumer is not deductible.
Legal Terms - Tax Attorney: Tax Attorney Information: Most lawyers will specialize into certain areas of interest during their careers. Those few that venture into tax practice are usually highly skilled and well versed in both tax law and tax accounting. Tax law is detailed intensive…
Legal Terms - Tax Avoidance: Tax Avoidance information: This is what privately employed tax lawyers are best employed to do: avoiding tax by taking full and complete advantage of all legally available tax planning opportunities. If you go over the line, it is called tax evasion.
Legal Terms - Tax Bracket: Tax Bracket information: The US uses a graduated tax system where tax rates increase as does taxable income. As a person goes from stage to stage on the tax scale, they are going from one tax bracket to another.
Legal Terms - Tax Deduction: Tax Deduction Information: A tax deduction is any allowable expense that may be subtracted from the taxpayer's adjusted gross income to calculate the amount of actual taxable income. Examples of allowable deductions for an individual taxpayer are state and…
Legal Terms - Tax Deferred: Tax Deferred information: Present income that is taxable, but under the provisions of a particular regulation or tax code provision, may be postponed to be taxed in the future. For example, income presently taxable may be put into various special retirement…