Succession
The statutory rules of inheritance of a dead
person's estate when the property is not given by the terms of a will, also
called laws of "descent and distribution."
Sue
to bring a case forward for legal proceedings to
recover certain rights or equitable recompense
Suffering
The pain, hurt, inconvenience, embarrassment
and/or inability to perform normal activities.
Sui Juris
from Latin meaning "of one's own right," is meant to indicate the ability for an
individual to claim full legal right and not under the authority of another, as
is the case with a minor
Suicide
The intentional killing of oneself.
Suit
Generic term for any filing of a complaint (or
petition) asking for legal redress by judicial action.
Sum Certain
A specific amount stated in a contract or
negotiable instruments at the time the document is written.
Summary Judgment
A court order ruling that no factual issues remain to be tried and therefore a
cause of action or all causes of action in a complaint can be decided upon
certain facts without trial.
Summation
the final argument of an attorney at the close of a trial in which he or she
attempts to convince the judge of the virtues of the client's case.
Summons
a document issued by the court at the time a lawsuit is filed, stating the name
of both plaintiff and defendant, the title and file number of the case, the
court and its address, the name and address of the plaintiff's attorney, and
instructions as to the need to file a response to the complaint within a certain
time.