Glossary of Legal Terms

Lawsuit – Generic term for a court case
 
Letter Of Credit – A written contract whereby a debtor retains a third party, usually a bank, to pay a creditor a certain sum of money upon the creditor’s presentment of specified documents to the third party

Levy – A legal process for obtaining money through a seizure and sale of a debtor’s property

Levy Bond – A written contract whereby a judgment- creditor agrees to be responsible for any claims made against a sheriff or other officer for a wrongful levy

Lien – The right to satisfy a claim out of specified property

Limited Liability Company – A business entity, comprised of one or more owners, which is regulated in the nature of a partnership, but which shields the of one or more owners, which is regulated in the nature of a partnership, but which shields the owners from personal liability for business debts in the nature of a corporation

Limited Partnership – A business entity comprised of one or more general partners who manage the business and who are personally responsible for the business debts, and one or more limited partners who do not manage the business and whose personal responsibility is limited to their paid-in capital contributions

Liquidated Damages – A specified or calculable sum of money expressly agreed upon by the parties to a contract as the measure of damages in the event one of the parties fails to perform

Lis Pendens – Literally, a pending lawsuit, but generally refers to a notice, filed of public record, that a pending lawsuit may affect title to or interests in real property

Litigant – A party to a lawsuit

Long Arm Statute – A state law granting the courts of the state jurisdiction over persons or entities residing in another state under specified circumstances

Mechanic’s Lien –  A lien on real property under state law in favor of a creditor who supplied labor or materials in connection with construction on, or improvements to, the real property

Mediation – Any of various forms of dispute resolution processes, usually without live witness testimony or other evidence, conducted before a judge or a neutral third party, to persuade the parties to settle a lawsuit, mandatory in some jurisdictions before a lawsuit proceeds to trial

Memorandum Of Judgment – A document reflecting the amount and details of a judgment, often filed with a county recorder to give public notice of the judgment

Military Affidavit – An affidavit that a named defendant is not an active member of the armed forces

Minute Order – [See “Order” below], a brief description or notation of an order

Motion – A request, usually written, for a court to take some action in a pending lawsuit

Motion In Liminae – A motion before trial asking the court to exclude certain evidence from the trial

Motion To Exclude – A motion before trial asking the court to exclude certain witnesses from the courtroom until they are called to testify

Movant – One bringing a motion before a court

Mutual Release – A written contract whereby both parties relinquish or abandon specified rights, claims or causes of action against each other

Negligence – The failure by a reasonable person to use that degree of care, diligence or skill which that person is under a duty to use to protect others or their property from injury or damage

Non-Contingent Suit Fee – A suit fee, payable to an attorney before a lawsuit is started, which is kept by the attorney whether or not any part of the claim is collected, usually calculated as a percentage of the claim

Non-Dischargeable Debt – A debt which is not included in a debtor’s bankruptcy discharge, either automatically by definition, or by reason of some action taken by a creditor

Non-Suit – A voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit by the party who filed the lawsuit, usually without prejudice to the right of the party to refile the lawsuit

Notice To Produce – [See “Production Of Documents” below]

Nulla Bona – Literally, no goods, but generally refers to the return of a writ of execution after a search has been made and no assets found

Order – Any decision by a court, usually with some directions to, or instructions for, the parties to the lawsuit