The Civil Process Flashcards
estate
all property left by someone who has died
civil law
a violation of civil law does not directly harm the community; the person harmed sues the violator
court
the tribunal or forum where the trial occurs, as well as the judge himself. the judge is the trier of law at the trial
liable
legally responsible
damages
an amount of money paid to atone for injury or economic loss
doctrine
a legal concept generally accepted by most courts which, although often not law, offers guidance to the court. legislatures will sometimes codify, or make into law, a popular doctrine
joint and several liability
when multiple defendants may be found liable as a group (jointly) or separately (several)
retainer
money paid to an attorney to secure her services; also refers to the contract between the attorney and the client. when an attorney has been “retained”, she works in a representative capacity on behalf of the client
appearance
when an attorney acts on behalf of a client in court. this action may be either a personal appearance in front of the judge or the filing of a document (such as a complaint or motion) with the court on behalf of the client
attorney-of-record
once an attorney has entered an appearance, he or she is the attorney-of-record in the case
venue
the place of trial; the physical location
diversity of citizenship
when a federal court hears a case based upon the fact that the parties are from different states, and that the amount of money claimed as damages exceeds a minimum set by federal statute, which is currently $75,000
plaintiff
the party who initiates the action by filing a complaint, claiming injury or harm
statute of limitations
the time limit for filing suit. suits filed after the time limit has run out will be dismissed. the clock generally starts to tick at the time the damages occurred
summons
document that informs the defendant that he is being sued and that he has a specific amount of time to respond
complaint
the pleading that initiates litigation. filed by the plaintiff, the complaint contains the general allegations against the defendant. it is served with the summons
parties
individuals or groups involved in legal action
cause of action
a legally valid reason to sue; one of the required elements of a complaint
information and belief
a common legal phrase that qualifies a statement as being a fact only to the best knowledge of the person making the statement. equivalent to saying “this is what I believe happened”
defendant
the party against whom a complaint is filed
ad damnum clause
element of a complaint that asks for damages; also called “wherefore clause” or “prayer for relief”
co-defendants
multiple defendants in a legal action
pleading
a document filed with the court asking the court to take some specific legal action. a motion asks the court to rule on a procedural matter. a pleading states a party’s position in a legal action
allegation
a fact claimed by a party
jury trial
a jury is a group of citizens selected from the community to determine the outcome of a case. in most cases, either party has the right to demand a jury trial, but if both parties agree, the judge may act in place of the jury. this is most common in very technical cases, such as a complex contract situation
filed
a document is filed when it is presented to the clerk of the court. all documents and any copies are date stamped by the clerk of the court at the time of filing
service/served
the presentation of legal papers
service of process
process is the summons and complaint. service of process is the delivery of the summons and complain upon the defendant in a court action. service is usually done in person. however, service may, in some circumstances, be made by mail, by publishing a notice in a newspaper, or by serving a company. serving a company is often accomplished by serving a registered agent (someone who accepts service on behalf of a company)
personal service
service of legal papers upon an individual, as opposed to a business or a registered agent
process server
a person who is permitted by law to serve legal documents; must be at least 18 years of age and not a party to the action
affidavit
a written statement of fact sworn to under oath
affiant
one who signs an affidavit
attest
to swear
notary public
a person authorized to administer the oath and to verify that an individual signs a legal document
jurisdiction
authority of a court to hear and decide a case
in personam jurisdiction
jurisdiction over a person
in rem jurisdiction
jurisdiction over the controversy, often property
quasi in rem jurisdiction
jurisdiction over property, even though the property is not the controversy
lis pendens
attachment to the title of a piece of property notifying any potential purchasers that the title is subject to the outcome of litigation
lien
attachment to the title of a piece of property preventing its sale until a previous financial obligation has been satisfied
rules of court
laws that govern the procedures of trials
answer
the pleading filed by the defendant in response to the allegations contained in the complaint
affirmative defense
an admission that a specific act did occur, arguing that the fault lies not with the defendant. intended to eliminate or reduce a plaintiff’s damages
counterclaim
a claim by the defendant against the plaintiff. sometimes the only determining factor as to whether a claim in an affirmative defense or a counterclaim is whether the defendant is alleging damages. if this is the case, it becomes a counterclaim. a counterclaim is, in essence, a pleading presenting the defendant’s complaint against the plaintiff
cross claim
a claim by one defendant against a co-defendant. one form of cross claim occurs when one original defendant sues another original defendant, but third-party complaints are also cross claims
third-party complaint
pleading where a defendant sues someone not yet a party to the action
reply
this pleading is the plaintiff’s response to a defendant’s counterclaim
default judgment
a judgment by the court in favor of the plaintiff, based on the fact that the defendant failed to respond in a timely fashion
motion
a request that the court take a specific procedural step. pleadings usually state legal positions about the matter before the court, while motions (such as a motion to extend time to respond) are procedural in nature, and act as a request for an order
litigation
the process of asking a court of law to decide the outcome of a dispute; a lawsuit
contest
to challenge
discovery
the methods whereby one party obtains relevant information on a case from the other party. the method that attempts to even the playing field between parties by exposing all relevant facts upon which the court will ultimately base its decision. discovery is between the parties and does not directly involve the court, although the certificate of mailing for each document is often filed.
interrogatories
written questions to the opposing party that must be answered under penalty of perjury
request for admissions
written statements the opposing party must admit or deny under penalty of perjury. failure to respond within a specified period of time (in most cases, 30 days) means that the statements are assumed to be admitted
request for production
a request that documents or other physical items be provided for inspection. also referred to as an inspection of documents or property
request for mental or physical examination
request that the other party (usually the plaintiff) be subjected to a mental or physical examination. this is a form of discovery that may require court approval so that it cannot be used to intimidate
depositions
oral questions that must be answered under oath. depositions take place out of court, most often in an attorney’s office, with a court reporter transcribing the testimony. a court reporter is a person trained to use a stenography machine to take testimony, verbatim, in court or at a deposition. attorneys from both sides must be present and will have the opportunity to ask questions. depositions can take place for the purpose of questioning the opposing party or for questioning witnesses. depositions are sometimes videotaped and audiotaped
certificate of mailing/certificate of service
when a document is filed with the court or when discovery is sent to a party, a certificate of mailing is usually attached. this certificate attests that a true and correct copy of the document was sent to all parties involved in the litigation. the certificate should be signed by the person who places it in the mail, unless the state requires an attorney’s signature. this is often replaced with a receipt of copy (ROC)
order
an official command by the court, usually demanding that one or both of the parties perform an act
hearing
a proceeding in court, where the judge and both parties are present
privilege
the right to refuse to testify or to prevent someone else from testifying
ex parte hearing
a hearing at which only one party is present, such as a hearing on a motion for a restraining order. ex parte hearings are not common
third-party defendant
the party against whom the third-party complaint was filed. the defendant in the original complaint becomes the “third-party plaintiff”
motion to dismiss
asking the court to end a case without going to trial