Glossary
Terms starting with L
653 definitions · page 7 of 11.
- Legal Terms - Security Deposit
- Security Deposit information: An amount agreed to be paid to the landlord to cover potential losses with the rented space, such as non-payment of rent, damages, and waste.
- Legal Terms - Seduction
- Seduction information: An offense now abolished in many states wherein a man wrongfully entices a woman of chaste character to have intercourse.
- Legal Terms - Seizure
- Seizure information: The taking of property against the will of the owner or possessor. It also applies to the taking of a person into custody, against his or her will.
- Legal Terms - Self Defense
- Self Defense information: Justified defense of your person and property. The force used in defense must be reasonable and somewhat proportional to the force being resisted.
- Legal Terms - Self Incrimination
- Self Incrimination information: An admission by a criminal defendant that tends to prove guilt. The defendant cannot be compelled to testify in the criminal case. There is a privilege against self incrimination.
- Legal Terms - Self-Employment Tax
- Self-Employment Tax Information: This is simply the legal term for the tax paid by self-employed persons into the Social Security System. Without the self-employed contributing to the fund, there would be no individual account for that person upon…
- Legal Terms - Sentence
- Sentence information: The judgment announced by a court at the close of a criminal case, after a conviction, whereby the defendant learns what punishment is in store.
- Legal Terms - Service Mark
- Service Mark information: Any kind of word, name, symbol, device, or any combination of those, used or intended to be used, in commerce or industry, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from services provided by others, and to indicate…
- Legal Terms - Setback
- Setback information: The amount of space required by zoning regulations that must exist between a lot line and the edge of a building. In other words, how far back from the street or the neighbor your building needs to be.
- Legal Terms - Setoff
- Setoff information: This is in the nature of a counterclaim, in debtor cases, where defendant admits the debt but claims the amount should be reduced by the amount of the setoff, or prior payment for which credit is due.
- Legal Terms - Settlement
- Settlement information: To end a lawsuit or claim by mutual agreement is called a settlement. This is the compromise conclusion of the dispute.
- Legal Terms - Settlor
- Settlor information: The identity of the person or entity that set up or took the necessary steps to found a trust.
- Legal Terms - Severance Pay
- Severance Pay information: Money paid to a terminated employee, over and above any unpaid wage.
- Legal Terms - Shareholder
- Shareholder information: A person that owns at least one share of stock in a corporation is an owner and shareholder to the extent of the interest.
- Legal Terms - Short Sell
- Short Sell information: Selling borrowed shares of stock in anticipation that the share price will fall in the near future. Shares are borrowed from the broker. Shares are repurchased and returned to the broker when the stock price falls and they are bought…
- Legal Terms - Short Term Loan
- Short Term Loan Information: A short term loan gets it name from the fact that it is financing meant to span a financial gap of short duration, usually less than one year. Interest rates may be higher on short term loans and less security may also be…
- Legal Terms - Shrink-Wrap License
- Shrink-Wrap License information: A license, or agreement, printed on the wrapping of some computer software products, wherein it is stated that by unwrapping the package the party agrees and is thereafter bound by the printed licensing terms on the wrapping…
- Legal Terms - Sight Draft
- Sight Draft information: A check that is payable upon presentment to the bank.
- 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.