abandonment (of a spouse)
See desertion.
See Topic: Marriage & Living Together Divorce & Child Custody
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Know the laws your rights
abandonment (of a spouse)
See desertion.
See Topic: Marriage & Living Together Divorce & Child Custody
Continue reading “abandonment of a spouse”
action
Another term for a lawsuit. For example, a plaintiff might say, “”I began this negligence action last fall after the defendant, Ms. Adams, struck me while I was crossing the street at Elm and Main.””
See Topic: Go to Court or Mediate
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adoption
A court procedure by which an adult becomes the legal parent of someone who is not his or her biological child. Adoption creates a parent-child relationship recognized for all legal purposes — including child support obligations, inheritan
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agreement
A meeting of the minds. An agreement is made when two people reach an understanding about a particular issue, including their obligations, duties and rights. While agreement is sometimes used to mean contract — a legally binding oral or w
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appeal
A written request to a higher court to modify or reverse the judgment of a trial court or intermediate level appellate court. Normally, an appellate court accepts as true all the facts that the trial judge or jury found to be true, and decide
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assault
A crime that occurs when one person tries to physically harm another in a way that makes the person under attack feel immediately threatened. Actual physical contact is not necessary; threatening gestures that would alarm any reasonable pers
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audit
An examination of the financial records of a person, business, or organization, typically done to correct careless or improper bookkeeping or to verify that proper records are being kept. Businesses and nonprofits often undergo an annual audit
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bankruptcy trustee
A person appointed by the court to oversee the case of a person or business that has filed for bankruptcy. In a consumer Chapter 7 case, the trustee’s role is to gather the debtor’s nonexempt property, liquidate it and distribute
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blanket search warrant
An unconstitutionally broad authorization from a judge that allows the police to search multiple areas for evidence without specifying exactly what they are looking for.
See Topic: Go to Court or Mediate Criminal Law
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C corporation
Common business slang to distinguish a corporation whose profits are taxed separate from its owners under subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code, from an S corporation, whose profits are passed through to shareholders and taxed on t
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