Glossary
This glossary may be used to find the definitions of many legal terms.
In many instances, there are synonyms and plain language options provided for the terms.
You may search within this glossary:
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A combination of these search options can be used to provide a more defined result.
Note that this glossary may not contain all legal terms.
| Term | Definition | Plain Language | Synonyms | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct inheritance | Property left outright to a person, rather than put into a trust or account. | General Terms | |||
| Direct testimony | answers given to questions posed by the attorney who calls the witnesses. Also, testimony given under oath by a person appearing pro se. | answers to first questioning | General Terms, Court Reporting | ||
| Directed trust | A trust that is managed by someone other than the trustee. | General Terms | |||
| Directed verdict | An instruction by the judge to the jury to return a specific verdict mandated by the evidence. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Disability | A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. | limitation | impairment, limitation, disorder | General Terms | |
| Disability benefits | Money available from Social Security to benefit workers with a disability. The benefits are about the same as Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). | SSDI, SSI | General Terms | ||
| Disallowance | An IRS decision made after an audit that a taxpayer did not have the right to a certain deduction or other tax benefit claimed on a tax return. | rejection | rejection, refusal, turndown | General Terms | |
| Disbar | The removal of an attorney's license to practice law, usually because of a crime, problems with alcohol or drugs, or other violation of the professional code of ethics. | remove | remove, eject, dismiss, cast out | General Terms | |
| Disbursement | Money given to someone legally entitled to receive it. | payment | distribute, payment | General Terms | |
| Disclaim | Giving away a claim or a right to something. For example, if your aunt leaves you a white elephant in her will and you don't want it, you can refuse the gift by disclaiming your ownership rights. | refuse | decline, refuse | General Terms | |
| Disclaimer | A formal refusal of a right or a responsibility. | denial | denial, waiver | General Terms | |
| Disclaimer trust | A "bypass" trust that allows the surviving spouse to decline ownership of some of the estate and place it into the trust without taxation. | General Terms | |||
| Disclosure | Revealing of a fact previously hidden or unapparent. For example, in many states you must disclose major physical defects in your house for sale. | reveal | admission, exposure, acknowledgment | General Terms | |
| Discount | A payment for goods or services, or a payment of a promissory note, less than the full amount. | mark down | decrease, exemption, mark down | General Terms | |
| Discovery | 1. Gathering information (facts, documents, or testimony) before a case goes to trial through depositions, interrogatories, requests for admissions, or by talking with the other side's lawyer. 2. A proceeding where one party to an action may learn facts known by other parties or witnesses. | sharing information | Share Information | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, District Court Civil, County Court Civil, Court Reporting | |
| Discretion | The power of a judge, public official, or private party to make decisions based on his or her opinion within general legal guidelines, often granted under a contract, trust, or will. | based on the judge's opinion | judgment, caution, care | General Terms | |
| Discretionary trust | A trust that grants the trustee broad power to decide when and how much income or property to distribute to a beneficiary. | General Terms | |||
| Discrimination | Unfair treatment because of any characteristic or activity that has legal protection (such as age, race, gender etc.). | unfair treatment | Prejudice, unfairness, bigotry, hatred | General Terms | |
| Disenfranchise | To deprive a person of the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote, or any other right, privilege, or power. | deprive of rights | General Terms | ||
| Disgorge | To give up something upon request, demand, or court order. | give up | give up, forfeit, discharge | General Terms | |
| Dishonor | To refuse to pay the full amount of a check or the amount due on a promissory note. | refuse | refuse | General Terms | |
| Disinherit | To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. In most states, you cannot completely disinherit your spouse, but in most cases you can expressly disinherit children. | cut off | disown, cut off | General Terms | |
| Disjunctive allegations | Claims that one thing OR another occurred (civil), or one crime OR another was committed (criminal). Such allegations are not allowed because the defendant must have specific allegations to defend against. | one or another | alternative, vague, one or another | General Terms | |
| Dismiss | A judge's throwing out of all or part of a plaintiff's lawsuit. | throw out | throw out, reject, remove, let go | General Terms | |
| Dismissed with prejudice | Case dismissal; with prejudice, it cannot be brought back again. | permanently dismissed, cannot re-file | permanently dismissed, cannot re-file | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Dismissed without prejudice | Case dismissed without prejudice, it can be brought again when appropriate. | can re-file | can re-file | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Disorderly conduct | Behavior that disturbs others, including minor criminal offenses such as public drunkenness. | disturbing the peace | General Terms | ||
| Disparate impact | 1. When an apparently neutral policy disproportionately affects one group and the affected group is protected by discrimination laws. 2. Practices in employment, housing, and other areas that adversely affect one group of people of a protected characteristic more than another, even though rules applied by employers or landlords are formally neutral. | unintentional discrimination | General Terms | ||
| Disparate treatment | When an individual, because of a legally protected characteristic or activity, is treated differently than someone else. | unequal treatment | treated unfairly or unevenly | General Terms | |
| Disposable income | Income not reasonably necessary for the maintenance or support of an individual or dependents of that individual. | left over income | extra income, excess income | General Terms | |
| Disposition | 1. The court's final decision on a lawsuit or criminal charge. 2. The act of transferring care, possession, or ownership to another. | decision | Decision, Distribution, Final Outcome of a Court Case | General Terms | |
| Disposition/Dispositional Hearing | The same as a judgment or sentence in a criminal or civil jurisdiction. There may be more than one disposition during the life of a case. A final disposition is generally a commitment to a state agency though no clear legal definition is in the act § 43-281, The court determines what services or rehabilitation efforts a juvenile will receive. |
decision | Decision, Distribution, Final Outcome of a Court Case | General Terms, Juvenile | |
| Dispute | Stating conflicting claims or rights between parties involved in a legal proceeding. | disagreement | Challenge, contest, refute | General Terms | |
| Disqualification | When a judge decides not to hear a case, usually because of influences to impartiality. | recusal | elimination, exclusion, recusal | General Terms | |
| Dissent | The explicit disagreement of one or more judges or a court with the decision of the majority. | disagreement | disagreement, disapproval, opposition | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Dissenting opinion | The opinion of a judge who does not agree with the majority opinion. | separate opinion | General Terms | ||
| Dissolution | Ending a marriage or a business. Split up, Break up. | End | End, Divorce | General Terms | |
| Dissolution of Marriage | Dissolution of marriage is the termination of a marriage by decree of a court of competent jurisdiction. The term dissolution of marriage shall be considered synonymous with divorce. (§ 42-347(3)) |
Divorce | Divorce | Domestic Relations, General Terms | |
| Distinguish | To differentiate the rulings of two different case despite similarities of fact. | tell the difference | differentiate, identify, separate | General Terms | |
| Distress | 1. Seizing another's property in order to obtain payment for money owed. 2. Pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind see also emotional distress. | take property, pain | 1. seizure, taking, 2. suffering | General Terms | |
| Distribute | To give assets to those people entitled to receive them under the terms of a will, trust document, state law, or beneficiary designation. | hand out | apportion, disburse, give, hand out, | General Terms | |
| Distributee | Someone who receives something, usually the inheritance from an estate or trust. Also called a beneficiary. | heir | beneficiary, heir | General Terms | |
| Distribution | Transferring assets of an estate or trust to beneficiaries or paying out profits or assets of a business to its owners. | delivering assets | delivery, disbursement, sharing, | General Terms | |
| District attorney | A lawyer chosen by local government officials to represent the state government in criminal cases within a designated area (also known as a Prosecuting Attorney, County Attorney, or State's Attorney). | General Terms | |||
| Diversion | Placing a defendant in a rehabilitation program under the supervision of a probation officer instead of jail. | alternate program | General Terms | ||
| Diversity jurisdiction | The power of the federal courts to decide civil disputes between citizens of different states, if the amount in damages exceeds an amount set by Congress (currently $75,000). | General Terms | |||
| Divestiture | The voluntary or court-ordered sale of an asset by a company or government entity. | sell an asset | Divestment, dispossession, selling of an asset | General Terms | |
| Divestment | The disposal or reduction of an investment or business interest, for financial, legal, or ethical reasons. | selling off assets | General Terms | ||
| Dividend | A portion of profits that a corporation distributes to its shareholders. The amount depends on the kind of stock and number of shares owned. | proceeds, return | portion of profit, a fund to be divided | General Terms | |
| Divorce | The term divorce shall be considered synonymous with dissolution of marriage. (§ 42-347(3)) |
end marriage | dissolution of marriage | Domestic Relations, General Terms |