Do you speak legalese? If you answered no, you are part of the vast majority. Although legal terms do not constitute a language of their own, reading judicial jargon can feel like interpreting hieroglyphics. However, family matters are topics that touch most people very closely. Therefore, this can serve as motivation to seek understanding of the tedious language of the law.
Speaking with an attorney who can interpret the law and guide you through its implications is best when you are facing a legal matter. However, familiarizing yourself with certain concepts of family law can help you engage in a productive conversation with your attorney so that together you can chart the path forward.
- Abandonment
- Action
Refers to an action or act. In family law, action often means initiating legal proceedings or taking legal action. - Address
- Address ‘State your address.’
It refers to an address or location. - Address ‘Address the court with respect.’
It refers to the act of treating a person or addressing a person to speak.
- Address ‘State your address.’
- Advocate
- Advocate (noun):
Refers to a person who actively supports and promotes the interests or cause of another person, group, or entity.
- Advocate (verb)
It refers to the act of furthering the interests of another person, group, or entity.
- Advocate (noun):
- Alimony – Spousal Support or Spousal Maintenance
It refers to the spousal support or alimony that one spouse must pass on to the other spouse after a divorce if this is determined during the divorce decree. - Appeal
- Appearance
It refers to appearing in court in response to a summons or court order. It also includes complying with legal processes such as providing documents or written answers requested by the court. - Attorney
In Texas, an attorney must be registered with the State Bar of Texas. They are also known as lawyers . Government-employed public defenders who are assigned in criminal cases are called public defenders. - Bail
Bail refers to a sum of money that a defendant or defendant pays to the court as a guarantee that they will appear in court at a future date. If a person does not honor their agreement to appear in the future, the court can keep the money that has been given in bail. - Bond
It is an agreement to pay the court if a defendant in a criminal case fails to comply with the conditional release from custody by law enforcement agencies. - Book
In legal terms, it refers to the act of entering information about a suspect in a criminal case after his or her arrest. Filing processes can vary by jurisdiction. - Bound
When an individual is said to be ‘bound by the law' it means that he is limited to the parameters of the law. It can also refer to being bound by the parameters described in a current contract. - Caregiver
A caregiver refers to a person responsible for providing the essential types of care to a minor or disabled adult. - Child Support
Child support is the lump sum of money that a noncustodial parent must pay to the parent with primary custody. Child support can also include other needs such as health insurance. - Claim
- Insurance claim
A request for payment or coverage that is submitted to insurance.
- Legal Claim
A claim in the context of a lawsuit is a fact-based allegation that presents the details of a violation of one or more rights, thereby forming a cause for legal action or complaint.
- Insurance claim
- Challenge or Recusal
A challenge or recusal refers to challenging or expressing doubt about the legality or veracity of an action or thing or about a person's qualifications for a particular function or task. - Common Law Marriage or Informal Marriage
It is also known as Marriage Without Formalities or Informal Marriage. It refers to a marital union recognized by the state as a marriage even if they have not been legally married. - Community Property
Refers to property acquired by one or both spouses and belonging to both. - Complaint
A complaint is the document that is submitted to the court to initiate a case against another person or entity. Although it is called a lawsuit in Spanish, it should not be confused with the meaning of demand in English since demand has other implications. - Continuance
It refers to the court's decision to postpone legal action within a case until such date as the judge indicates. - Custody or Conservatorship
- Custody Schedule or Possession and Access Schedule
It refers to the legal custody agreement that dictates how a child's time is divided between their parents or custodians. - Deadline
This is the date on which the time limit expires. This can refer to the time you have to file a claim known as a statute of limitations or the deadlines the court dictates to comply with the court schedule set in the case during the Pretrial order. - Decree
It is an order emitted by a judge to resolve an issue in a court case. - Deed
A deed, in some cases also referred to as a title, is a legal document that shows ownership of property. - Demand
Refers to the action of requesting by force or under the authority of law.- Demand Letter
A documentthat describes a dispute between two parties and demands that the party receiving the demand letter issue a payment, take some action, or cease any action. Lawsuits are usually written by an attorney on behalf of their client with the intent to begin the process of resolving a conflict or dispute.
- Demand Letter
- Dependent
It refers to people who are financially dependent on someone else. - Discovery
Discovery is a phase in the development of a court case. It involves the process of gathering evidence used by the parties involved in a dispute. It may include requests submitted to the court in the form of interrogatories (a series of written questions that must be submitted completed), requests for documents such as records, photos, and identifying information that confirms the identity of the parties, and other data relevant to the case. The discovery process may also include requesting affidavits that could be written, recorded, or live, as ordered by the court in your case. - Docket
A docket is the list of all proceedings, documents submitted to court, and deadlines in a case.- Court Docket – List of Hearings and Deadlines
It refers to the list of hearings and deadlines for compliance that will soon expire in cases that the court is actively hearing. It is intended to help the court keep accounts of multiple cases. Usually the docket includes the case number, the history of the case outlining all the actions and events that occurred in the legal process of the case, the date of the decisions, orders entered and documents filed in the case, the name of the court where the case is being heard, the issues raised in the case and the names of the parties involved.
- Court Docket – List of Hearings and Deadlines
- Duty
Duties are obligations an individual, group or entity must comply with. A duty can be based on law, common knowledge, personal commitment, ethics and customs. - Garnish
Refers to the legal process that allows a party to seize or seize property from a debtor. - Hearing
This refers to any formal appearance in front of the court. There are different types of legal hearings depending on the nature of the case and the circumstances of the court. - Homestead
A homestead refers to a property owned by a person or family and is used as a residence. It includes the dwelling the adjoining land and any other buildings on the land. - Impound
Refers to the legal process by which the court or police seize or confiscate private property. It can occur in civil and criminal practice. - Jail
A government-sanctioned institution used to confine people who are awaiting trial or have been convicted of low level crimes. - Judgment
The final decision issued by the court or tribunal. - Litigation
The legal process that begins after a case is formally submitted to court. The people involved in the case are the litigating parties. - Matter
In the legal context, matter refers tothe facts of a matter and the merits of a case. It is also used to refer to a legal matter in general. - Negligence
In the legal context, it refers to the failure to meet the basic standard of care that a reasonable person would have exercised under the same circumstances. This can include negligent actions or negligent omissions. Establishing that negligence was present is not always a basis for suing; there must be damages caused by negligence. - Notary
A notary according to U.S. law refers to a person authorized to take oaths, certify documents, verify signatures, among other functions delimited by local and state regulations. It is not the same as the Spanish term notario as it is known in most Spanish-speaking jurisdictions. - Notice
A notice is a constitutional right that says that a party whose rights could be affected by a legal proceeding must be notified. For example, it is illegitimate to file a lawsuit and not notify the defendant within the time frame outlined by law. - Oath
An oath is a public pledge to perform an action or duty. - Party
Refers to one of the parties involved in a dispute or legal case. Many cases have two main parties: the plaintiff or affected party and the defendant. A case can have more than two parties. Each party calls the other party adverse, who is against it. - Petition
A petition is a type of lawsuit that is filed with the court, mostly in administrative proceedings, and requests that the court take some specific action as a remedy for the cause presented. A petitioner is known as the person or entity that files the petition and as respondent to the agency that must respond to the petition. A petition contrasts with a complaint, the type of lawsuit that is filed as a formal complaint against a person, group, or entity. - Plaintiff
This refers to the party who files the lawsuit. It is also known as the plaintiff. - Pleading
Refers to one of the initial actions that the parties take in a case. The affected party presents their cause and a plea to the court to hear the case in order to obtain compensation for damages. On the other hand, the defendant makes their statements where they accept or reject the allegations against them. - Prenuptial Agreement
Also known as a pre-marital agreement, it is a contract executed before marriage to establish the terms for divorceand generally has provisions that delineate the division of property and assets. - Pretrial
In many cases, the court convenes a Pretrial Conference , where attorneys for both sides must appear to agree on a litigation agenda. The litigation agenda may include deadlines for filing evidence, arguments, and motions, and you must follow certain legal rules for calculating the time frame between each date. - RequestRefers to the judicial process by which one of the parties involved in a dispute asks the court or the adverse party to act, observe a right, or answer a question.
- Schedule
- Itinerary
In the legal context, it can refer to the schedule determined by the court to process the litigation, including the designated dates for the service of documents, the fulfillment of court requirements, and court hearings. It can also refer to the agreement of the division of time between the parents in a custody case.
- Inventory
On the other hand, a schedule can also refer to a document that contains a list, inventory, or detailed explanation of a matter. This type of schedule is commonly included as an annex to another document. For example, a contract might have an annex of the goods to which the contract applies.
- Itinerary
- Spousal Maintenance
Also known as ‘Alimony'. It refers to the spousal support or alimony that one spouse must pass on to the other spouse after a divorce if this is determined during the divorce decree. - Statute
Refers to a law or ordinance issued by some government agency.- Statute of Limitations – Statute of Limitations
This refers to the time frame that the law provides for initiating a legal action such as filing a lawsuit or claim. Time limits vary depending on where the events occurred and the type of case. When the time limit outlined by law expires, you could be left without legal protection to file a lawsuit. It should be noted that some types of cases and specific circumstances may be treated as exceptions.
- Statute of Limitations – Statute of Limitations
- Subpoena
Refers to a type of order issued by the court that compels an individual to appear in court in reference to the matter at hand. The appearance may involve giving eyewitness testimony about a matter related to the case or providing documents and other tangible objects. Some common examples include the obligation to provide recordings, photos, copies of text messages, emails. - Summons
Refers to a warrant that requires you to appear in court at the date and time described in the order. It is usually a document that is completed by the plaintiff and submitted to the court for review, validation, and issuance to the defendant requesting their appearance. - Trial
Refers to a formal legal proceeding by which claims are filed and evidence and testimony are reviewed in order to evaluate the validity of the claim and find a resolution, in accordance with applicable laws. - Trust
In legal terms, it refers to a fiduciary relationship where rights over property are granted to a third person or entity that will manage the property to be enjoyed by the person or group named as the beneficiary. - Waive
Refers to the act ofvoluntarily waiving or releasing your rights in reference to your right, privilege, or claim. A common example is a release of liability where the person signing releases his or her rights to impute liability for damages to the other party described in the document. - Warrant
A warrant is a court order that binds one or more parties.- Arrest Warrant
This type of warrant gives law enforcement officers permission to arrest the person named in the warrant. - Bench Warrant
This type of warrant gives law enforcement officerspermission to arrest a person for failing to appear in court as ordered. - Search Warrant
This warrantis used to give law enforcement officers permission to search property and seize objects relevant to the case under investigation.
- Arrest Warrant
- Will
A legal document that registers an individuals wishes for the management and distribution of their estate after their death. Some - Witness
A witness is a person who observed the matter in question first-hand and can serve as a primary source by offering their version of the facts- Character Witness
Refers to a person who testifies about the character, conduct, and reputation of the person in question. The testimony must remain within the parameters established by law only by offering information relevant to the case.
- Character Witness
- Writ
Refers to an order or mandate issued by some legal authority with administrative or judicial powers, usually a court.
Protect yourself with knowledge
When it comes to family matters, understanding what's going on and making the right decisions takes priority. Often, healthy decisions start with knowledge. The right legal representation will help you understand the various implications of your situation so that you can take firm steps to secure your future and that of your family.
