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:
- by entering a term in the “Keyword Search” field.
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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial hardship | Special financial problems that are out of the ordinary, such as health care needs for a child with a serious illness. | unexpected money needs | General Terms | ||
| Financial responsibility law | A law that requires a driver involved in an accident to provide proof of the ability to pay a judgment against him or her. | proof of ability to pay | General Terms | ||
| Finding | When a judicial officer or jury says something is a fact. | decision | conclusion, decree, decision | General Terms | |
| Fine | The money a person must pay as punishment for doing something illegal or for not doing something they were supposed to do. | punishment, amends, damages | General Terms | ||
| Firm | A business formed by one or more lawyers to practice law. | General Terms | |||
| Firm offer | An offer (usually in writing) that says it may not be withdrawn, revoked, or amended for a specific period of time. If the offer is accepted without a change during that period, there is a firm, enforceable contract. | cannot be withdrawn | binding offer, definite offer | General Terms | |
| First Appearance/Arraignment | The arraignment hearing is the initial hearing (first hearing). At this time the juvenile is advised of his/her rights and asked to admit or deny the charges that were filed against him or her. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| First degree murder | A murder that was premeditated or committed during the course of a serious felony, such as kidnapping, and requires the most serious punishment under the law. | intentional killing | General Terms | ||
| First lien | A lien that has priority over all other claims of the same general category, but not necessarily over taxes. | priority lien | Priority lien | General Terms | |
| Fitness | A parent's level ability to provide for a child's best interests. In evaluating a parent's fitness, a court may consider many factors, including the parents' financial and marital stability, career obligations, other children, physical and mental health, and criminal history. | ability to care for | General Terms | ||
| Fixed annuity | An annuity that provides payments of a set amount for the recipient's life or some other specified term. | set amount | General Terms | ||
| Fixed asset | Long-term tangible property owned by a business that cannot be converted quickly to cash or used up in ordinary business operations, such as machinery, buildings, fixtures, and equipment. | long-term assets | nonliquid assets | General Terms | |
| Flight | Running away or hiding to avoid arrest or prosecution. | running away | Escape, running away | General Terms | |
| Floating lien | A lien against property owned by a debtor and listed in a security agreement, which will also include property acquired after the agreement is made. | General Terms | |||
| Forbearance | Voluntarily agreeing not to assert a legal right. For example, a creditor may forbear on its right to collect a debt by postponing collection or reducing a borrower's payments. | delay | General Terms | ||
| Force majeure | A term in a contract that excuses performance if that performance becomes impossible because of some unpredictable event, sometimes called an act of God, such as a hurricane or bomb. | unforeseen event | An act of God, uncontrollable event | General Terms | |
| Forced sale | When property is taken from the owner and sold by a creditor as authorized by a court order, such as in a bankruptcy or foreclosure. | court ordered sale | General Terms | ||
| Forcible entry | Taking possession of a building or land through force or serious threats against the occupants. | breaking and entering | General Terms | ||
| Forcible entry and detainer | A summary proceeding for restoring possession of land to one who has been wrongfully deprived of possession. A less formal trial held before a judge to return land to a person from whom it was wrongfully taken. | Evict | Rental property is returned to the landlord. Tenant must leave. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, District Court Civil, County Court Civil, Court Reporting | |
| Foreclosure | The legal process that a lender uses to take possession of property when the borrower has not made mortgage payments. Banks use foreclosure to remove borrowers from their homes. | take away | Dispossess, confiscate, seize | General Terms | |
| Foreign corporation | A corporation registered under the laws of a different U.S. state or country. In the U.S., it usually refers to an out-of-state corporation. Out-of-state corporations must file a notice of doing business in any state in which they do business. | out-of-state corporation | General Terms | ||
| Foreign divorce | A divorce obtained in a different U.S. state or country. A foreign divorce is generally valid if the spouse who asked for the divorce is a resident of the state or country that approved the divorce, and both spouses agreed to the jurisdiction of the court where the divorce was processed. | divorce in another state | General Terms | ||
| Foreign personal representative | A personal representative from another jurisdiction. | out-of-state administrator | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates | ||
| Foreign Support Order | A support order issued by a court or agency of another jurisdiction. | out-of-state support order | General Terms, Domestic Relations | ||
| Forensic testimony | Testimony given by an expert witness who has been certified as an expert in the subject matter. | statement by scientific expert | General Terms | ||
| Foreperson | When a jury first meets to decide a case, they select one member of the jury to speak on their behalf and carry out certain administrative duties; this individual is their foreperson. | spokesperson | General Terms | ||
| Foreseeability | The ability to anticipate the potential impact of an action, such as damage or injury that may happen due to negligence. | ability to predict | General Terms | ||
| Foreseeable risk | A likelihood of damage that a reasonable person could anticipate in a given set of circumstances. A reasonable person would anticipate. | General Terms | |||
| Forfeit | To lose property or rights as a penalty for violating the law. For example, a driver's license may be forfeited if the driver has a drunk driving conviction. | give up | relinquish, surrender, lose | General Terms | |
| Forfeiture | Loss of money or property caused by a failure to meet a legal obligation. | giving up | fine, forfeit, loss, relinquishment | General Terms | |
| Forger | Someone who creates or uses a falsified document, signature, or other imitation of something of value. | counterfeiter | Counterfeiter, falsifier | General Terms | |
| Forgery | The false making or material altering with intent to defraud of any writing which, if genuine, might be the foundation of a legal liability. | fake | Falsification, counterfeit item, fake | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Formal contract | A contract made binding, usually by signature and exchange of copies or other formality. | signed contract | General Terms | ||
| Forthwith | A term found in contracts, court orders, and statutes, meaning as soon as can be reasonably done. It implies immediacy, with no excuses for delay. | right away | abruptly, right away | General Terms | |
| Forum | Place; venue, tribunal, place of trial. | place of the trial | venue | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Forum non conveniens | Inconvenient forum; authority of a court to refuse to exercise its jurisdiction. | Inconvenient forum | General Terms, Court Reporting | ||
| Forward contract | A private investment contract in which a buyer commits to purchasing something in the future at a specified price. | contract for future purchase | General Terms | ||
| Foster care | Temporary care provided to children who are unable to live with their parents or other primary care givers. | General Terms | |||
| Foster Care Non-Relative | Home other than a relative. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| Foster Care Relative Home | Home of a relative/family known to the children. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| Foster child | A child placed by a government agency or a court in the care of someone other than the child's natural parents. Foster children may be removed from their family home because of parental abuse or neglect. | ward | General Terms | ||
| Foster parent | An adult who takes over care of a child who has been placed in the foster care system because the child can no longer live with family members. | guardian | General Terms | ||
| Franchisee | A person that has been given the right by a company to sell its product or services in a specific area. For example, Mr. Smith is being given the right to own a McDonald's in Northwest Omaha Mr. Smith is the franchisee. | General Terms | |||
| Franchiser | A company that gives a person the right to sell its product or services in a specific area For example Mr. Smith being given the right to own a McDonald's in Northwest Omaha McDonald's is the franchiser. | General Terms | |||
| Fraud | An intentional perversion of truth? deceitful practice or device resorted to with intent to deprive another of property or other right or in some manner to do him or her injury. When a person falsely tells a fact that is relied upon and causes harm. | cheat | Cheat, deceiver | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Fraudulent transfer | 1. A transfer of property intended to produce financial or personal gain for one of the parties involved. 2. A transfer of a debtor's property made with intent to defraud or for which the debtor receives less than the transferred property's value. A dishonest sale of property done to trick or strip another of profit. | General Terms | |||
| Freedom of contract | A right to make contracts without government restrictions. The power to contract without the government telling you what to do. | General Terms | |||
| Freehold | An old English term for property ownership for an indefinite period of time, such as during one's lifetime. | ownership of land | fee simple, fee tail, or for life | General Terms | |
| Fugitive | A person suspected of doing something wrong who runs away or tries to escape the law. | runaway | escapee, person escaping, runaway | General Terms | |
| Full disclosure | The sharing of information, required in certain situations, such as real estate transactions, for both sides to tell the whole truth about all relevant information. | tell the whole truth | General Terms |