Pro bono – Latin term for voluntary and unpaid or reduced work. Learn more about free legal advice. A legal process to address individual and corporate debt issues; in particular, a case filed under one of the chapters of Title 11 of the United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code). Fees – employees of companies that provide legal services. The law can be complicated and it is often described in technical terms that many people may not be familiar with. This glossary contains brief definitions of legal terms that you can find on this site. Transfer – the processes involved in buying, selling or rescheduling a property to transfer its legal title from one person to another. The legal system, which originated in England and is now used in the United States, is based on the articulation of legal principles in a historical sequence of court decisions. The principles of the common law may be amended by legislation.
Non-insolvency proceedings in which an applicant or creditor attempts to make a debtor`s future salary dependent on its claim. In other words, the creditor seeks to have part of the debtor`s future salary paid to the creditor for a debt owed to the creditor. Obligation – a requirement to take a certain type of action that may have a legal basis through a contract. Action brought by a plaintiff against a defendant on the basis of a claim that the defendant had failed to comply with a legal obligation that caused harm to the plaintiff. Hearing (legal) – a court case in which the facts of a particular issue are examined and evidence is presented to decide what the outcome should be. Money laundering – the process of concealing the source of illegally acquired money. Will – a legal document that explains a person`s wishes for how their estate should be treated upon death. In-house lawyer – lawyers who work for organisations such as banks or local authorities to provide legal advice to the organisation.
Estate – a legal authorization granted by an estate registry to someone to process someone else`s estate after their death. An estate register is an office where a person can be interviewed in order to obtain an estate licence. To find your nearest registrar or for more information, visit GOV.UK. Alternative Business Structures (ABS) – a law firm that is managed, owned or controlled by a mix of lawyers and non-lawyers who provide legal services. A non-lawyer is a person who is not authorized to engage in reserved legal activities. According to – whether something is related to or emerges from something else. For example, the SRA`s powers to regulate the legal profession derive from various Acts of Parliament. An appropriate power of attorney – a legal way to give someone else the power to manage your financial affairs when it is difficult for you to manage them yourself, perhaps due to a physical disability. No one can “accept” a power of attorney; it must be “given” voluntarily. The donor decides who they appoint as their “lawyer”, who they trust, such as a close relative, friend or lawyer, and can end the arrangement at any time. The law as set out in previous court decisions.
Synonymous with precedent. Similar to the common law, which stems from tradition and judicial decisions. Limited liability company (LLP) – a commercial partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability in respect of their legal and financial obligations. Solicitor`s Privilege (BVG) – a protection that means that information that a client shares confidentially with their lawyer should never be disclosed without the client`s consent. BVG only applies between a client and his or her lawyer or lawyer. It does not apply to other legal professionals. A lawyer employed by federal courts full-time to legally defend defendants who cannot afford a lawyer. The judiciary administers the Federal Defence Lawyers Programme in accordance with the Criminal Justice Act. Instructions from a judge to the jury before it begins to deliberate on the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules it must apply. With regard to civil actions in “justice” and not in “law”. In English legal history, courts could order the payment of damages and could not afford any other remedy (see Damages). A separate “justice” court might ask someone to do something or stop doing something (e.g., injunction).
In U.S. jurisprudence, federal courts have both legal and just power, but the distinction is still important. For example, a jury trial is usually available in “legal cases,” but not in “equity cases.” To define a legal term, enter a word or phrase below. Payment – Fees paid to organizations as required as part of legal services. For example, it may be a payment made by your lawyer to a local real estate information authority when buying a home. Magistrate – a non-legal volunteer who hears cases in his or her community and administers the law, usually in a court that deals with minor offences and hears preliminary hearings for more serious offences. The legal power of a court to hear and decide a particular type of case. It is also used as a synonym for jurisdiction, i.e. the geographical area for which the court has jurisdiction to rule on cases. Bankruptcy – the legal status of a person or entity that is unable to repay debts belonging to its creditors. A court decision in a previous case with facts and legal issues similar to a legal dispute currently being heard by a court.
Judges “generally follow precedents,” that is, they apply the principles established in previous cases to rule on new cases that have similar facts and raise similar legal issues. A judge will disregard precedents if a party can prove that the previous case was tried incorrectly or that it differed significantly from the current case in some way. Certificate of Practice (CP) – a document issued to lawyers by the SRA that allows a lawyer to perform certain legal work such as advocacy, litigation, probate and transfer.