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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Note that this glossary may not contain all legal terms.
| Term | Definition | Plain Language | Synonyms | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) | A court order or judgment that relates to support and provides for an alternate payee's right to receive benefits due a participant under a retirement benefit plan. | General Terms, Domestic Relations | |||
| Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO) | An order or judgment that provides for medical support for a child of a parent covered by a group health plan or provides for health benefit coverage for the child. | General Terms | |||
| Quantum | Amount "Quantum physics investigates amounts of energy within atoms" | amount | quantity, amount, measure, portion, sum, unit, total | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Quantum meruit | As much as was deserved; extent of contractual liability implied by equity “I know the bid for the job was only $100, but it actually took three days and, frankly, I think they deserve to be paid more.” | reasonable amount earned | as much as was earned, reasonable amount earned | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Quash | To overthrow, vacate; to annul or void a summons or indictment. | void, stop | overrule, vacate, veto, void Set aside, vacate, stop | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, District Court Civil, County Court Civil, Court Reporting | |
| Quasi | As if; term which indicates a resemblance, having a likeness to some-thing "How can they think they won? At best, it was only a quasi victory. | semi- | near, mock, pretend, almost | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Quiet title | 1. A cloud on title is a valid claim or lien which impairs an owner's other-wise free right to dispose of property to remove such a claim, an action is brought to quiet title. 2. A lawsuit to establish a party's title to real property against anyone and everyone, and thus "quiet" any challenges or claims to the title. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Quitclaim deed | A real property deed that transfers only the interest in the property in which the grantor has claim to. | transfer of interest in property | General Terms | ||
| Re (a form of res) | Concerning, in the matter of, particularly when only one party is involved “Have you reached a decision in our case re estate of Mobius?” | regarding | Regarding, about | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Real property | An interest in land or the property permanently affixed to land. | land and buildings | land, lot, house, property | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates | |
| Reasonable | Just, rational, appropriate, ordinary, or usual given the circumstances. | fair | fair, feasible, sensible | General Terms | |
| Reasonable doubt | An accused person is entitled to acquittal if, in the minds of the jury, his or her guilt has not been proved beyond a "reasonable doubt"? that state of minds of jurors in which they cannot say they feel an abiding conviction as to the truth of the charge. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Reasonable Efforts | A Court finding that reasonable efforts have been made to prevent the child’s removal from home must be made within 60 days of the child’s actual removal from the home. If it is not made within this period the child’s entire stay in foster care is ineligible for Title IV-E funding. The Court must also make a finding that the agency has made reasonable efforts to finalize a permanency plan. The permanency plan may be to reunify the family or secure a new permanent home for the child. In other words, the regulations have consolidated these two reasonable efforts findings into one. The finding is based on the agency’s permanency plan at the time of the hearing, not on a prior plan the agency has abandoned. This finding must be made within 12 months from when the child enters foster care, presumably at the permanency hearing. It must then be made every 12 months to retain Title IV-E funding for the child. A negative, insufficient, late, or missing finding means the child is ineligible for Title IV-E funding until the court make a positive finding. The court may find that a lack of efforts is reasonable, such as when there is no safe way to make efforts to prevent removal. Reasonable efforts findings must be detailed , and they must include relevant case facts. These findings must be in the court order or hearing transcript. Affidavits, nunc pro tunc orders, and orders simply referring to state laws requiring reasonable efforts for removal do not meet the requirement. 45 C.F.R. sec 1356.21(d). The exact wording of the federal statute does not have to be used as long as the findings make clear that the agency made reasonable efforts. 1 American Bar Association, National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal Judicial Issues. | General Terms, Juvenile | |||
| Reasonable person | A hypothetical legal standard of what a reasonable person would do in a certain circumstance; it is used to determine if someone acted reasonably or with negligence. | average person | average person, ordinary, normal | General Terms | |
| Reasonable time | A vaguely defined period of time by which an act in a contract should be performed. | sensible timeframe | sensible timeframe | General Terms | |
| Rebut | A plaintiff may present evidence to contradict points made in the Defendant's case. | argue against | oppose, answer, contradict, argue against, prove wrong, deny | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Rebuttal | Evidence presented at trial by one party in order to overcome evidence introduced by another party. | reply | counterclaim, reply, answer, defense | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| rebuttal witness | A witness who is called to disprove testimony already presented. | rival witness | General Terms | ||
| Recant | Formal retraction of a previous statement. | take back | renounce, retract, take back | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Recess | A short break in a trial ordered by the judge. | pause | pause, time-out, downtime | General Terms | |
| Recidivism | The tendency of a habitual, repeat criminal. | re-offend | re-offend, backsliding, relapse | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Recidivist | A habitual, repeat criminal. | career offender | repeat offender, career offender | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Reciprocity | A relationship in which one state gives certain privileges to other states or the citizens of other states on the condition that the first state and its citizens receive the same privileges in those other states. | cooperation | exchange, mutuality, cooperation | General Terms | |
| Recision | Cancellation or annulment, especially of a contract. | cancellation | recall, cancellation, withdrawal | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Reckless | Very careless; characterized by creating substantial and unreasonable risk to others. | careless | careless, negligent, thoughtless | General Terms | |
| Reckless driving | Operating an automobile in a dangerous or careless manner. | dangerous driving | careless driving, dangerous driving | General Terms | |
| Recognizance | A promise made in court to do something. | guarantee | guarantee, pledge, promise | General Terms | |
| Reconveyance | The transfer of a real estate title from lender to buyer when the loan on the property is paid off. | return title | title given, return title | General Terms | |
| Record | A written account of the proceedings in a case, including all pleadings, evidence, exhibits, and judgment submitted during the case. | transcript | file, report, transcript | General Terms | |
| Record on appeal | A copy of the pleadings, evidence, exhibits, orders, and judgment, filed in a case in a trial court and a transcript of the testimony from the case. | appeal file | appeal file, transcript | General Terms | |
| Records retention and disposal schedule | A system or plan covering all records kept by a court that states what records may be disposed of and when. | General Terms | |||
| Recover | To receive a money judgment in a lawsuit. | get back | (re)claim, restore, get back, recoup | General Terms | |
| Recovery | The amount of money and any other right or property awarded to someone in a lawsuit. | item received | restoration, return, item received, compensation, reimbursement | General Terms | |
| Recusal | To disqualify; a judge generally recuses themself when they have a conflict of interest or is otherwise biased in a matter toward either side. | withdraw | disqualify, eliminated, self-removal, withdraw | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Recuse | 1. To excuse or disqualify (oneself) or be excused from a criminal or civil proceeding because of conflict of interest. For example, a judge may recuse themself from a case because of personal or professional involvement with 1 or more of the parties. 2. To disqualify oneself as a judge in a particular case. | withdraw | excused from, disqualify, uninvolve, withdraw | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Redact | To edit or revise; as in preparing a document for publication. | delete | edit, censor, delete | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Referee | A judicial officer at the trial court level to whom a cause pending in a court is referred by the court to take testimony, hear the parties, and report thereon to the court; in the Nebraska court system referees are primarily involved in delinquent child support matters. | neutral party | arbitrator, mediator, neutral party | General Terms, Domestic Relations, News Reporter Guide, District Court Civil, County Court Civil, Court Reporting | |
| Referral | Usually refers to an alternative program, like drug/alcohol rehabilitation instead of serving time in jail. | send to alternate program | program, alternate program | General Terms | |
| Register | To record or file a support order or judgment determining paternity and/or support in the appropriate location. (§ 42-702(16)) |
Domestic Relations, General Terms | |||
| Register of actions | The official permanent, written or electronic, court record of actions in civil cases, including small claims. | record | file, record, transcript | General Terms | |
| Registering tribunal | A court in which a support order is registered. (§ 42-702(17)) |
court | Court, jurisdictional | Domestic Relations, General Terms | |
| Registrar | Court official designated to accept or reject applications for informal probate and informal appointment of a personal representative. | receiving clerk | receiving clerk, recorder, admissions officer | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Rehabilitated | Reestablishing a witness' credibility with further evidence. | restore witness | renew, restore witness, reformed, redeemed | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Reinstated bail | When bail that had been forfeited, exonerated, or reduced is reestablished in its original amount. | General Terms | |||
| Release | To give up a right or claim to something. | give up | forfeit, lose, surrender, give up | General Terms | |
| Release on own recognizance | An alternative to bail? release upon certain conditions set by the court. | personal recognizance, no bail required | signature bond, personal recognizance, judicial public bail | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Relief | A benefit that a court can order to be given to a party to a lawsuit. | remedy | remedy, judicial relief, equitable remedy | General Terms | |
| Relief from forfeiture | A court order in an unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuit that allows the losing tenant to return to the rental unit. | return to premises | re-occupy, return to premises | General Terms | |
| Relinquish | To give up, surrender, put aside, or desist from. | give up | surrender, withdraw, abandon, give up, let go, vacate, waive | General Terms | |
| Remainder interest | Ownership of property left in trust after a previous owner or the life tenant received all the property benefits to which they were entitled. | future interest | future interest in [the] property | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates |