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.
- by choosing a “Type” from the drop-down list such as “Estate” or “Small Claims.”
- by choosing the beginning letter in the “Filter by Letter” drop-down list to display only the terms that start with that letter.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross negligence | A lack of care that is so great that it appears to be a conscious violation of another person's rights to safety. | serious carelessness | General Terms | ||
| Grounds | Legal reasons, rationale, basis. | reasons | General Terms | ||
| Grounds for divorce | The legal basis for a divorce. The law sets out specific circumstances under which a divorce will be granted. Before the court will grant a divorce, the person seeking the divorce must prove that those conditions exist. | reasons for divorce | General Terms | ||
| Group Home | Care provided by agency and involved therapy which is individual, group and/or family. Setting is often informal. Can be either institutional or noninstitutional setting, i.e. Boys Town-Lowest level of care. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| Guarantee | To agree to pay another person's debt or perform another person's duty, if that person does not do so. | sign for | General Terms | ||
| Guaranteed signature | A signature that is witnessed by another person, usually a bank employee who is qualified to guarantee signatures. | verified | General Terms | ||
| Guarantor | A person who promises to be responsible for the debt of another person if that person does not pay the amount of debt owed on time. | insurer, backer, underwriter | General Terms | ||
| Guardian | The individual who legally has the care and management of a person who has been legally declared incapacitated to look after their own affairs or a child during his or her minority. In Nebraska, minority ends at age 19. | person who legally cares for | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates | ||
| Guardian ad Litem | A person (usually an attorney) appointed by the court to protect the interests of an incompetent party or minor child. (Black's Law Dictionary, 8th Ed.) A person appointed by the court to act in the best interests of an incompetent adult or minor child. | Child advocate | General Terms, Domestic Relations, News Reporter Guide, Juvenile, Court Reporting | ||
| Guardianship | A legal relationship created by a court between a guardian and a ward--for either a minor child or an incapacitated adult. | legal authority to care for | custody, care, caretaking, protection | General Terms | |
| Guest | A person who does not have the same rights as a tenant, for example, someone who stays in a hotel for fewer than seven days. | visitor | company, visitor | General Terms | |
| Guest statute | A law that prevents non-paying passengers from suing the driver or owner of a car for accidental injuries except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. Examples of willful misconduct would be driving while drunk, going far over the speed limit, or driving a car knowing the brakes are faulty. | General Terms | |||
| Guidelines | 1. Recommendations. 2. In family law, a standard method to calculate child support payments based on the income of the parent(s) and other factors according to state law. The Federal Family Support Act of 1988 says states must use guidelines to calculate support for each family unless there is a written court finding saying the guidelines would be inappropriate for that case. | general recommendations | General Terms | ||
| Guilty plea | When a person admits in court that they are guilty of the crime charged. | admit in court | General Terms | ||
| Guilty verdict | A legal decision that a defendant committed a crime. Or when a defendant admits they have committed a crime. | conviction | General Terms | ||
| Gun control | Term used to describe federal, state, and local laws and efforts that regulate how guns are sold, carried, used, and owned in the U.S. | General Terms | |||
| Habeas corpus | "You have the body"; name given a variety of writs whose object is to bring a person before a court or judge. In most common usage, it is directed to the official person detaining another, commanding him or her to produce the body of the prisoner or person detained so the court may determine if such person has been denied his or her liberty without due process of law. | bring a person to court | Produce the body | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Habitability, Rent escrow | Landlord will not make repairs to a rental property. Tenant wants the court to order that the repairs be made. Dangerous housing conditions, unlivable conditions. | Unsafe Housing Conditions | General Terms | ||
| Habitual criminal | A person who has been convicted of multiple crimes, a fact that may increase punishment for any future criminal convictions. | Repeat offender | General Terms | ||
| Habitual residence of the children | The children's usual home. | A child's home | Home | General Terms | |
| Half blood | Siblings who share only one parent; a half brother or half sister. | Half-brother; half-sister | Half-brother; half-sister | General Terms | |
| Harassment | A crime usually involving unwanted contact, stalking or threats. Specific definitions will vary by state. Repeatedly bothering another person who does not want to be bothered. | Repeated threats, bothering, tormenting | General Terms | ||
| Harmless error | An error by a judge in a trial that an appellate court finds was not damaging enough to justify reversing the trial court judgment. | mistake that is not damaging | General Terms | ||
| Hate crime | A criminal act against a person, property, or society that is motivated by another person's (usually the victim's) race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. A hate crime is a violation of the victim's civil rights. | crime influences by bias | General Terms | ||
| Have representation | To have a lawyer. | To have a lawyer | To have a lawyer | General Terms | |
| Hazard insurance | A type of insurance, usually part of a homeowners' or business policy, that protects against damage to the property caused by unexpected and sudden events, such as fires, storms, and vandalism. | insurance for unexpected events | General Terms | ||
| Headnote | In a printed legal opinion, the summary appearing above the decision that summarizes the key legal points of the case. | summary of legal points | Points of law | General Terms | |
| Health and Human Services Workers - (HHS) | The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers the states' institutions for delinquent offenders, as well as other services. They are case managers. | case worker | General Terms, Juvenile | ||
| Hearing | A proceeding in court before a judge that is generally open to the public. | Court appearance | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| Hearsay | Testimony given by a witness who relates what he or she has heard said by others, not what he or she knows personally. | heard from others | Second-hand information | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Hearsay exceptions | Knowledge based on something someone told you that a judge or jury can hear anyway. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Hearsay rule | Set of rules defining hearsay. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Hedonic damages | Damages that compensate for the loss of enjoyment of life due to a wrongful act. Hedonic damages are not recognized in all jurisdictions. | Payment for loss of enjoyment | General Terms | ||
| Heir | The person who inherits property under state law. | beneficiary | beneficiary, inheritor, heritor | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates | |
| Heir apparent | The person(s) expected to inherit from the estate of a family member. | first in line to inherit | General Terms | ||
| Held | Decided or ruled, as in "the court held that the contract was valid." Court decision on a certain point. | decided | decided, ruled | General Terms | |
| Held to answer | A judge's decision at the end of a preliminary hearing in a trial court saying there is enough evidence against the defendant to have a trial. | Probable Cause Hearing | General Terms | ||
| Hereafter | After this, from this point on. | From now on | From now on, after this, in the future | General Terms | |
| Herein | Incorporated in this document. | included | here, in this, included | General Terms | |
| Heretofore | Before this, before this point. | Before now | Before now, until now, before, up to this time | General Terms | |
| High court | a court of law that is at a higher level than ordinary courts and that can be asked to change the decisions of a lower court. | Supreme Court, Court of Appeals | General Terms | ||
| High crime | An infamous, immoral crime, not always a felony. A crime against morality. | General Terms | |||
| High seas | International marine waters not included in the territorial waters of any country. | International waters | General Terms | ||
| High-low agreement | A settlement that depends on a jury's award of damages and that sets a minimum and maximum amount a defendant will pay the plaintiff. | General Terms | |||
| Highway | Any public street, road, or turnpike that any member of the public has the right to use. | street | freeway, interstate, street, road | General Terms | |
| Hold harmless | An agreement between parties in which one assumes the potential liability for injury that may arise from a situation and thus relieves the other of liability. | release | General Terms | ||
| Holder | Anyone in possession of property. Often, holder refers to someone who has a promissory note, check, or bond. | Property owner | General Terms | ||
| Holding cell | A cell inside a courthouse where prisoners are kept before and after their court appearance. Also called lockups and sometimes bullpens. | lockup | General Terms | ||
| Holding company | A company, usually a corporation, that owns and controls other companies. | The owner of other companies | Corporate owner | General Terms | |
| Holdover tenant | A tenant who continues to occupy a residence after the term of the lease or rental agreement has expired, and without the consent of the landlord. To remove a holdover tenant, the landlord must give the tenant a notice to quit (get out). If the tenant does not leave, the landlord must go to court and file an unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuit. | Squatter | General Terms |