Glossary

Legal glossary

763 definitions · page 5 of 13.

Legal Terms Incriminate: Incriminate information: Evidence that tends to show the defendant did the crime incriminates him.
Legal Terms Indecent Exposure: Indecent Exposure information: A display of one's naked body, especially the private parts, to another for the purpose of alarming a person or for causing arousal in any person.
Legal Terms Indemnify: Indemnify information: A party's obligation to reimburse someone who has lost something by the wrongful act of another. The duty to reimburse arises through agency, or through a default.
Legal Terms Independent Contractor: Independent Contractor information: A person, or entity, that is hired by a principal to complete a specific project but who is free to do that work as he or she wishes. The aim is that the independent contractor is not to be seen as an employee…
Legal Terms Indictment: Indictment information: The form upon which is written the charge against the defendant, having so found by a grand jury. The prosecutor proceeds against the defendant by information, the grand jury will use an indictment.
Legal Terms Indigence: Indigence information: Needy and impoverished. If a defendant in a criminal case, an indigent person may be given an attorney paid for by the state.
Legal Terms Indirect Tax: Indirect Tax information: A tax that is imposed on a right or privilege. The tax is not paid directly by the consumer but is instead passed through as a cost of doing business. For example, an occupational or franchise tax is a cost of doing business that…
Legal Terms Indispensable Party: Indispensable Party information: Where complete relief cannot be granted, and where double liability may result, a party closely affiliated with the original defendant may be forced to join the case.
Legal Terms Ineffective Assistance of Counsel: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel information: When a defendant has received ineffective assistance of counsel he has been denied his sixth amendment right to counsel and may be entitled to post conviction relief. There is no requirement that the lawyer…
Legal Terms Information: Information information: In criminal law, an information is the charging document filed by the prosecutor, who has chosen to proceed without a grand jury. By contrast, a grand jury charging document is called an indictment.
Legal Terms Infraction: Infraction information: This is a violation of law but usually one of lesser consequence, like a municipal ordinance.
Legal Terms Infringement: Infringement information: This is a violation, or unfair use, of someone else's property right, or liberty interest. The term is often used in the area of copyright infringement and intellectual property law.
Legal Terms Ingress: Ingress information: Entry, or means of entry. Method of getting into a structure or property. Egress is the way out.
Legal Terms Inherit: Inherit information: To take property through the death of another, by intestate succession.
Legal Terms Inheritance: Inheritance Information: An inheritance is a term standing for the property, real or personal, that is received by an heir from an ancestor that has died intestate, or without leaving a will. An inheritance is said to be property received by bequest or devise.
Legal Terms Inheritance Taxes: Inheritance Taxes information: A tax sometimes imposed by the government on the receipt of property received through inheritance by intestate succession.
Legal Terms Initiative: Initiative information: A vote by the public at large, where if a sufficient percentage pass the initiative, the legislature is then required to enact into law the subject matter of the proposed initiative.
Legal Terms Injunction: Injunction information: A court order that prohibits an action or requires an action.
Legal Terms Injury: Injury information: The harm caused, or the damages done.
Legal Terms Insanity: Insanity information: A legal term, not a medical term. This is a mental condition that renders a person legally unfit to form the intent necessary to commit a crime or to understand the wrongfullness of his conduct. There is no legal responsibility assessed…
Legal Terms Installment Sale: Installment Sale information: This is a sale conditioned on the buyer making periodic payments for the item being sold and until the final payment is made the seller retains a security interest in the item. The buyer gets possession. For the seller, income…
Legal Terms Insurance: Insurance information: A contract whereby one party agrees to pay a certain sum to another upon the happening of an event in the future. Most insurance is for compensation of an expected but remote loss.
Legal Terms Insurance Underwriter: Insurance Underwriter information: One who accepts insurance risks in exchange for a premium.
Legal Terms Intangible Property: Intangible Property information: This is a tax term and means property represented by evidences of value, like bond certificates and stock certificates.
Legal Terms Intent: Intent information: The mental element is criminal actions. There is a requirement in most criminal statutes that no person can be convicted unless there is an intent to commit the crime.
Legal Terms Inter Vivos: Inter Vivos information: "While living" is the direct translation. In property law this term connotes transfers of property to heirs made during the ancestors life, or inter vivos.
Legal Terms Inter Vivos Trust: Inter Vivos Trust information: This is a trust created by the settlor, or benefactor, during his or her lifetime, and actually takes effect during that lifetime. An inter vivos trust is different than a testamentary trust, which takes effect on the settlor's…
Legal Terms Interest: Interest information: In property law, this is usually a right or claim belonging to someone. In finance, interest is the cost charged to borrow money, or the rent payment on money.
Legal Terms Interest Rate: Interest Rate information: In finance, this is the amount of interest that is charged to borrow money. There is always an upper allowable limit, known as usury.
Legal Terms Internal Revenue Code: Internal Revenue Code Information: The Internal Revenue Code, sometimes called the tax code, is the large body of statutes and regulations that make up the United States Tax law. Each time a tax law is changed it becomes part of the body of the Internal…
Legal Terms Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Internal Revenue Service (IRS) information: Agency of the government that supervises the collection of tax revenue and the enforcement of the tax code.
Legal Terms Internet Service Provider (ISP): Internet Service Provider (ISP) information: The provider of internet access to people, for a fee.
Legal Terms Interrogation: Interrogation information: The formal inquisition of a person, usually a suspect of a crime.
Legal Terms Interrogatory: Interrogatory information: A formal question asked of a party, usually in writing, which must be answered by the party within the particular jurisdiction's time limit for making discovery response. Sending a party a lengthy set of interrogatories is standard…
Legal Terms Intestate: Intestate information: Having no will. Being without a written will is to be instate and your heirs will take or inherit your property pursuant to the applicable intestacy statute.
Legal Terms Intestate Succession: Intestate Succession information: Usually, where a decedent has left no will, the decedent's property will be distributed as mandated in that jurisdiction's intestacy statute.
Legal Terms Inventory: Inventory information: A complete and detailed listing of a person's or an entity's assets.
Legal Terms Invest: Invest information: Putting money into something with the intention to turn a profit.
Legal Terms Invitee: Invitee information: This is a status given or earned by one entering another's property. A person is an invitee of another where he enters the property at the invitation of the owner and with an expectation to benefit the owner's business. In such cases the…
Legal Terms Ipso Facto: Ipso Facto information: An expression meaning "by the mere effect of an act or a fact."
Legal Terms Issue: Issue information: In property law, issue refers to children. To have no issue is to have no children. In corporation law, issue is refered to as the initial selling of stock by a corporation.
Legal Terms Joint and Mutual Will: Joint and Mutual Will information: A single will, made by two persons, that disposes of both their separately and commonly held property. The joint and mutual will directs the surviving testator to distribute property in line with the directions in the will…
Legal Terms Joint Enterprise: Joint Enterprise information: An effort or undertaking by two or more persons to accomplish a particular result. In criminal law this refers to conspiracy such that all joint actors are responsible for all aspects of the crime. In tort law, this refers to…
Legal Terms Joint Tax Return: Joint Tax Return Information: A joint tax return is one that is filed by married couples as a single taxable unit. Both parties must sign and accept equal responsibility for the payment of the tax due. There is usually advantageous for married couples to…
Legal Terms Joint Tenancy: Joint Tenancy: Two or more persons that hold the same parcel of real property and in fact hold the same interest. Thus, the joint tenants each own the undivided whole property and all are entitled to possess the whole property as well. Importantly, an…
Legal Terms Joint Venture: Joint Venture information: Similar to a partnership, this is an entity set up for the purpose of doing a particular transaction for a mutual profit among the joint venturers.
Legal Terms Joint Will: Joint Will information: A single will, made by two persons, that disposes of their commonly held property. This is to be distinguished from a joint and mutual will.
Legal Terms Jones Act: Jones Act information: Federal act that disposed of the fellow servant rule for the class of workers that man ships and other watercraft. This enables injured workers to bring negligence actions against their employer.
Legal Terms Judge: Judge information: The presiding officer of a court. Judges can be appointed or elected, as set forth in the Constitution and in State Statutes.
Legal Terms Judge Advocate General: Judge Advocate General information: Essentially, this is the judicial arm of the military service.
Legal Terms Judgment: Judgment information: The official decision of the court, entered on the record, that disposes of the issues in dispute, and which is final for the purposes of taking appeals to a higher court.
Legal Terms Judgment Proof: Judgment Proof: This occurs where the defendant in a civil case has little or no assets from which a judgment can be collected. As a practical matter, unless there is a deep pocket somewhere at fault that can be brought into the case, the injury claim will…
Legal Terms Jurat: Jurat information: The certification found at the end of an affidavit that makes note of the notary public and of the notarized signature.
Legal Terms Jurisprudence: Jurisprudence information: The philosophy of law. The logical basis for holding people liable for wrongs.
Legal Terms Jurist: Jurist information: A legal scholar, being well versed in the law and its philosophy.
Legal Terms Jury: Jury information: Sworn members of the general public that are selected to hear a court case.
Legal Terms Jury Instruction: Jury Instruction information: The Judge will give formal directions to a jury during a case. Jury instructions are formal renditions of the law to be applied in the case. The jury will receive a verdict instruction called a verdict director. This document is…
Legal Terms Jury Nullification: Jury Nullification information: This happens when the jury fails to follow its oath and instructions and instead finds against the wrong party because the moral issue involved is too much for the jury to bear. Jury nullification might occur, for instance…
Legal Terms Justice of the Peace: Justice of the Peace information: An inferior judicial officer, with limited jurisdiction over minor offenses.
Legal Terms Keogh Plan: Keogh Plan information: Tax deferred plan aimed at the self employed for retirement benefits similar to that afforded in an IRA, or an individual retirement account. The idea is that high taxed income at today's rate will be subject to less tax at the lower…