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Most Popular Legal Definitions

legal custody

A child custody decision which entails the right to make, or participate in, the significant decisions affecting a child's health and welfare.

minutes

The official record of a meeting.

inscrutable fault

A judicial finding that a fault has occurred but the court is unable to locate the source, to pinpoint a tortfeasor.

unfavorable witness

A witness that merely gives unfavorable answers to questions posed during examination in chief, that party may not cross examine the witness but may still lead evidence in contradiction.

life tenant

The beneficiary of a life estate.

consign

to leave an item of property in the custody of another

approach the bench

an attorney's movement from the counsel table to the front of the judge's bench; an attorney must ask permission before approaching the bench

religious test

a clause in the US Constitution that prevents unethical alliance between church and state or a general favoring of any specific religious belief

administrative hearing

hearing before any governmental agency or before an administrative law judge; there is no jury, but the agency or the administrative law judge will make a ruling

variance

1) An exception to a zoning ordinance, authorized by the appropriate governmental body. 2) a difference between what the prosecution has charged and what it has proved. 3) a difference between what is alleged and what is proved in a civil complaint.