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.”
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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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior | Preceding in time or in order; earlier or former; previous. | before | before, earlier, previous, former | General Terms | |
| Priority claim | An unsecured claim that is entitled to be paid ahead of other unsecured claims that are not entitled to priority status. Priority refers to the order in which these unsecured claims are to be paid. | General Terms | |||
| Priors | A person's previous criminal record. | earlier | before, earlier, previous, former | General Terms | |
| Privilege | In the law of evidence, a privilege is a rule of evidence that allows the holder of the privilege to refuse to disclose information or provide evidence. | benefit | advantage, right, benefit, exemption, immunity | General Terms | |
| Privity of contract | Contractual relationship only between the signers. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Pro bono (pro bono Publico) | 1. For the good (for the public good); 2. Legal services provided without attorney fees. | done for free | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| Pro forma | For the sake of form; a formality, a perfunctory act or standard document. | done as a formality | official, customary | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Pro hac vice | For this turn; for a particular occasion, only for this time. An attorney can practice in the state for this time only. | for this time only | General Terms, Court Reporting | ||
| Pro per (pro se) | Refers to persons that present their own cases in court without lawyers; from the Latin for "in one's own proper person." | person who represents themselves | SRL, self-represented litigant | General Terms | |
| Pro rata | According to (by) calculation; in proportional, a proportional division. Divided. | prorate | prorate, in proportion, divided | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Pro se | 1. Legal representation of oneselves. 2. Refers to persons that present their own cases in court without lawyers; from the Latin for "on one's own behalf." | person who presents their own case | SRL, self-represented litigant, | General Terms, Domestic Relations, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Pro tem. (pro tempore) | 1. For a time; temporary substitute, provisionally. 2. "Temporary." public defender. A lawyer employed by the government to represent a person accused of a crime who cannot afford a lawyer for his or her defense. | temporarily | for the time being | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Probable cause | 1. Sufficient reason for law enforcement agents to obtain a search warrant or detain someone suspected of committing a crime. 2. A constitutionally prescribed standard of proof; a reasonable ground for belief in the existence of certain facts. | reasonable belief | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | ||
| Probate | The court proceedings in which the probate court has jurisdiction over (a) the personal representative, and (b) the assets of the deceased person. The purposes of probate are (1) to protect the heirs from fraud and embezzlement; (2) to protect the federal and state governments so that all taxes are paid by the estate; and (3) to protect the creditors of the deceased person so that they are paid. Probate states with the will being admitted to formal or informal probate. Probate ends after all taxed are paid, creditors are paid and assets are accounted for and distributed as provided in the will. | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Probation | 1. A criminal court sentence that releases a person into the community under supervision and certain conditions. 2. In modern criminal administration, allowing a person convicted of an offense (particularly juvenile offenders) to go at large under a suspension of sentence, during good behavior, and generally under the supervision or guardianship of a probation officer. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Probation officer | Officers of the probation department of a court. | General Terms | |||
| Probation officers (juvenile) | (Traditional and Intensive Supervision-ISP) Supervise juveniles who are placed on probation. They make reports to the court concerning the juvenile process. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| Procedure | The rules for conducting a criminal or civil lawsuit. | policy | plan, policy, method, process, system | General Terms | |
| Proceed | Go ahead. | continue | continue, move on, progress | General Terms | |
| Proceedings | Generally, the process of conducting judicial business before a court or other judicial officer. A "proceeding" refers to any one of the separate steps in that process, like, a motion, a hearing. | actions | actions, steps | General Terms | |
| Process | A course of proceedings in a lawsuit; or, the way a person is notified of a legal action or a court order. | series of actions, delivery of copies | General Terms | ||
| Process server | A person that is qualified according to State law to serve court papers to a party of a lawsuit. | General Terms | |||
| Promissory note | A written document that says that a person promises to pay money to another. | written promise to pay | Note, IOU | General Terms | |
| Pronouncement of judgment | When the judge formally issues a judgment in a case. | final decision | court hands down the decision, entry of judgment | General Terms | |
| Proof | Evidence that tends to establish the existence or truth of a fact at issue in a case. | facts | evidence, facts | General Terms | |
| Proof hearing | After a default judgement, hearing where a plaintiff presents the actual evidence supporting their position. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Proof of claim | A written statement describing why a debtor owes a creditor money and how much money is owed. | General Terms | |||
| Proof of service | The court form which proves that court papers were formally delivered to a party in a court action on a certain date. | return of service | General Terms | ||
| Property | Anything that is owned by a person or entity. | belongings | possessions, assets, belongings | General Terms | |
| Property damage | Injury to someone's property because of another person's negligence, willful destruction, or by natural cause. | General Terms | |||
| Property of the estate | All legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. | everything a debtor owns | General Terms | ||
| Prosecute | To charge someone with a crime and then try them for it in court. | take to court | sue, try, take to court | General Terms | |
| Prosecuting attorney | A public officer that prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the state (also known as a district attorney). | General Terms | |||
| Prosecution | Act of pursing a lawsuit or criminal trial. | taking a case to court | pursuit, undertaking | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Prosecutor | A lawyer who represents the government in bringing legal proceedings against an alleged wrongdoer. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Protection order | order issued by a court that protects a person by requiring another person to do, or not do, certain things. | General Terms | |||
| Protest | A formal statement or action expressing disagreement or disapproval. | disagree | object, resist, disagree | General Terms | |
| Provide | To make available; furnish. To supply something needed. | give | bring, supply, furnish, give | General Terms | |
| Provisional remedies | A temporary process available in a civil action which secures the plaintiff against loss, injury, etc. while the action is pending. | temporary order | General Terms, District Court Civil, County Court Civil, Court Reporting | ||
| Proxy | Act for someone else as they would act for themselves. A person to make decisions for you. | representative | agent, stand-in, backup, delegate, representative | General Terms | |
| Public assistance | Benefits, like money, Medicaid, or food benefits, to help people or families in need. | assistance | aid, assistance, benefits | General Terms | |
| Public defender | A lawyer appointed by the court, usually to represent a defendant in a criminal case that can't afford to hire a lawyer. | court-appointed lawyer | General Terms | ||
| Public offense | Conduct that is in violation of existing laws. | crime | violation, crime, infraction, wrongdoing | General Terms | |
| Public record | A court record available for inspection by the general public. | General Terms | |||
| Punitive damages | Money awarded in a legal case that is above the real cost of the injury; it is meant to punish a losing party for willful or malicious misconduct. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Purge | To remove inactive case records from court files. | remove | remove, dispose of, do away with | General Terms | |
| Purge order | An order of the court allowing a court ordered payor to purge themselves from contempt by doing certain things. | General Terms, Domestic Relations | |||
| Pursuant | Consistent with. | According To | General Terms | ||
| Putative father | The person said to be the father of a child but who has not yet been medically or legally declared to be the legal father. | alleged father | General Terms | ||
| Q.E.D.(Quod erat Demonstrandum) | Which was to be demonstrated; term applied to anything obviously true that requires very little evidence "He fell off the cliff and he died. Q.E.D. | author has proven their argument. "I told you so" | General Terms, Court Reporting |