Basic Legal Terms Uk

Claim – a legal claim made by a person seeking compensation for the loss. 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. The law and the terms used can be complicated for those who are not familiar with legal jargon. This A-Z guide to common legal terms and expressions provides definitions of the main legal terms that lawyers and their clients will encounter in litigation in England and Wales. Sometimes we use legal terms and languages that you may not understand. We`ve created this alphabetical list to explain what some of our most commonly used terms mean. Illegal – illegal or contrary to the Social Convention. Injunction – A person who intends to offer a voluntary agreement to their creditors may apply to the court for an injunction that, if issued, excludes bankruptcy and other legal proceedings while the order is in effect. 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. Paralegal – someone who supports lawyers in their work.

Often, paralegals have a law degree, but have no practical qualifications. 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. 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. Money laundering – the process of concealing the source of illegally acquired money. Obligation – a requirement to take a certain type of action that may have a legal basis through a contract. Effective Date – the date on which a legal provision has come into force or will come into force (if it has legal effect). Cohabitation contract – this allows unmarried couples who live together to enter into a legally binding contract on asset sharing when the relationship breaks down.

Lawyer – a professional authorized by the Lawyers Regulatory Authority to conduct legal activity as a cost lawyer – a lawyer who regulates the legal fees of court proceedings and is regulated by the Association of Cost Lawyers. Withdrawal – Fees paid to someone else (other than your lawyer) for fees associated with your legal case, such as attorneys` fees, court fees, photocopying, and other administrative costs. Fraud – taking something illegally from another person or preventing someone from having something that legally belongs to them by cheating on them. Legal aid – government funding that can help people cover the cost of the legal services they need when they are eligible. It is also used to support legal assistance provided in police stations where a person is arrested. For more information on legal aid, see GOV.UK. The Law Society provides information on legal aid. Lawyer – a lawyer regulated by the Bar Standards Council, who often specializes in courtroom representation, drafting pleadings and legal opinions. A written statement filed as part of a court or appeal process that explains the legal and factual arguments of a page.

Omission – a failure to perform a particular act in which there was a legal obligation or obligation to perform that act. Target recipient – the person who is the recipient of the legally binding offer. Elderly Law – a specialty in legal practice that covers estate planning, wills, trusts, care arrangements, social security and pension benefits. False detention – when a person is detained by another person who does not have the legal right to do so. False detention can become abduction if the victim is detained for a significant period of time. Strict law – legal obligations that bind the parties concerned and can be legally enforced in court. Lawyer`s privilege (LPP) – a protection that means that information that a client shares confidentially with their lawyer must never be disclosed without the client`s consent. LPP only applies between a client and his or her lawyer or lawyer. It does not apply to other legal professionals. Law firm – Organizations that employ lawyers to provide legal advice and services. 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). Full ownership – the description of a parcel of land over which only the owner has legal rights.

Agreement – when two parties reach consensus on a set of facts or action plans. For example, if a formerly married couple agrees on the terms of their divorce. 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. Intervention – when a regulator takes control of a law firm`s papers and funds to protect the public. Evidence – Evidence presented to the court with the intention of convincing a judge or jury of the alleged facts about the case. Examples may be witness testimony, documents, public documents or photos. Keywords – a set of indexing terms at the beginning of a legal report that summarize the subject matter of the case. Magistrate – a justice of the peace who sits in the district court and is usually a non-legal volunteer. They preside over smaller businesses.

Contract – an agreement signed by two or more parties that sets out the terms of an agreement – for example, between a buyer and seller in a real estate transaction. Discrimination – is generally used in labour law in complaints of discrimination in the workplace to describe the act of being treated unfairly or differently due to certain characteristics protected by law (in the Equality Act 2010). Proviso– is a clause in a legal document that qualifies another section of the agreement. 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 terminate the arrangement at any time. Contingency Fee Agreement (CFA) – Also known as a “no-win, no-fee” agreement, is a contract between a client and a legal representative that provides that any attorneys` fees or prior payments of the legal representative are payable by the client only in certain circumstances – usually only if the client succeeds in the case.