Glossary of Legal Terms

Uniform Commercial Code – A statute, adopted in substantially identical form by all states except Louisiana, governing most commercial transactions, including the sale or lease of goods, negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, letters of credit, bills of lading and secured transactions

Unsecured Claim – A claim which is not protected by a security interest or lien

Unsecured Creditor – A creditor with an unsecured claim

Usury – The charging of unlawfully high interest under state law

Venue – The county, district or other place where a lawsuit is started or will be heard

Voluntary Non-Suit – [See “Non-Suit” above]

Wage Garnishment – A garnishment to a debtor’s employer

Waiver – The relinquishment of, or refusal to accept, some right or benefit

Warrant In Debt – A document, filed with a court, stating a plaintiff’s claims, used to start a lawsuit in some jurisdictions

Without Prejudice – Descriptive of an agreement or court order, usually the dismissal of a lawsuit, which does not prevent the parties thereto from raising the subject matter again, such as by refiling the lawsuit

With Prejudice – Descriptive of an agreement or court order, usually the dismissal of a lawsuit, which forever prevents the parties thereto from raising the subject matter again, such as by refiling the lawsuit

Witness – Generally, a person who directly observed or participated in an act, event or occurrence, and who is called upon to testify thereto

Writ – An order issued from a court directing the person or entity named to comply with the directions therein

Writ Of Body Attachment – [See “Body Attachment” above]