| Satisfaction |
Legal satisfaction is when the winner in a case receives payment of what is due.
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| Scintilla |
This is a Latin word meaning "spark" and is used to refer to evidence, often which must contain a "spark" to base a judgement.
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| Scope of Employment |
The actions an employee takes for company and not personal business, determining whether an employer is liable for damages if that employee is injured on the job.
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| Secondary Boycott |
In labor law, an organized refusal to purchase goods from or provide services for a company where employees are in labor negotiations.
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| Services |
Paid work.
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| Session |
A court meeting.
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| Set |
Scheduling, as for a trial or hearing.
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| Settle |
Resolving a legal dispute, often using the services of attorneys but not relying on a final court judgement for the resolution.
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| Settlement |
Resolving a lawsuit without a court judgement.
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| Several Liability |
When one party becomes responsible for the entire debt or judgment, though others have jointly agreed to pay the debt and have been jointly ordered not to do so.
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| Severance of Actions |
Legal hearing for multiple parties that that separates their claims, thereby allowing separate actions for each, or for a combination of them.
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| Shifting the Burden of Proof |
When the plaintiff in a lawsuit meets its burden of proof in the case, and places the responsibility on the defendant to prove his or her position.
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| Show Cause Order |
A show cause order tells an individual to appear in court on a specific date to demonstrate why a specific judgement should not be made. It is synonymous with an "order to show cause" or an "OSC."
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| Social Host Liability |
This makes the individual who gives free alcoholic beverages to another (as in the host of a party) liable for damages if an intoxicated guest injures themselves or others. This would be considered an act of negligence on the part of the host.
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| Special Damages |
In contrast to the less tangible general damages, special damages are clear-cut out-of-pocket costs, such as medical bills or repairs, that are a result of another person's negligence or wrongful act.
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| Special Jurisdiction |
A court which has power to handle only limited types of cases.
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| Specific Loss |
Specific loss is when, in a worker's compensation case, an individual is proven to have permanently lost use of a particular physical function, or is shown to be disfigured in some way.
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| Speculative Damages |
Compensation that is awarded based on some future, highly-improbable reoccurrence of an injury.
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| Spoliation |
This is defined, in legal use, as the destruction of evidence.
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| Stack / stacking |
Georgia automobile insurance law states that people who purchase insurance may "stack" - or add the coverage together for each insured vehicle - for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
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| Standard of Care |
The level of care and attention that a reasonable person would give under those specific circumstances. Failure to meet this standard of care constitutes negligence on the behalf of that individual.
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| Standard of Proof / Burden of Proof |
Degree of proof required in a specific kind of case to prevail. In the majority of civil cases, it is proof by a preponderance of the evidence.
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| Stare Decisis |
This is a Latin term meaning "to stand by a decision." This means the court is bound by the precedents set by other courts.
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| Statute |
Basically, this means a written law from Congress or state lawmakers, while local statutes are called "ordinances."
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| Statute of Limitations |
The maximum period of time a person can legally wait to file a lawsuit. The length of the statute of limitations depends on what kind of case it is, and what state the individual is in.
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| Statutory Offer of Settlement |
The written offer of payment a defendant makes to a plaintiff in hopes of settling the lawsuit out of court within a certain period of time.
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| Stay |
When judicial proceedings are briefly delayed by the court.
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| Stipulation |
A stipulation is a conditional agreement that is made between the two attorneys on opposing sides of a lawsuit.
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| Strict Construction |
To interpret the Constitution at its specific word and language without taking changes in society, time period and invention into account.
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| Strict Liability |
When a person is automatically considered responsible, without proof of negligence, for damages due to items which are universally known to be highly dangerous, like owning poisonous animals or explosives.
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| Subject Matter Jurisdiction |
The court's ability to hear a case on a specific subject, as in small claims court hearing small claims cases, criminal court hearing criminal proceedings, etc.
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| Submitted |
When all evidence and argument has been presented to the court and the outcome only awaits the judge's decision.
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| Subornation of Perjury |
To persuade someone under oath to knowingly lie.
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| Subpoena / subpena |
The official court order for a witness to appear and testify at a specific location, and/or produce documents in his or her possession that may be considered evidence. The word can also be spelled "subpena."
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| Subpoena Duces Tecum |
The official court order for a witness to bring documents his or her possession to a specific location.
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| Subrogation |
To take on the legal rights of someone for whom expenses or a debt has been paid, as when an insurance company pays a client injured by someone else's negligence and then sues that negligent individual for damages.
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| Subrogee |
The person or entity, such as an insurance company, that legally attempts to collect a claim on someone else's behalf in return for paying that individual's expenses or debts.
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| Subrogor |
A person or entity, generally a person injured in an accident, legally allows another to collect a claim on his or her behalf in return for having his or her claims paid.
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| Substantive Law |
While procedural law sets the rules and methods for individuals to ensure their legal rights, substantive law creates, defines and establishes the scope of those rights.
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| Sue |
To sue is to establish a lawsuit.
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| Suffering |
Suffering is defined as any pain, physical or emotional, that results from an injury, as in the phrase "pain and suffering." If this is due to someone else's negligence, the suffering individual may receive general damages.
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| Suit / Lawsuit |
A suit or lawsuit is when an individual files a complaint against another person or entity in a court of law.
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| Summary Judgment |
A court order ruling that one or all causes of action in a complaint can be determined without trial and that no factual issues remain to be tried.
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| Summation |
An attorney's concluding argument at a trial's end, where the client's position is persuasively summed up to convince a judge and/or jury to decide in the client's favor.
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| Summons |
A legal document notifying individuals in a lawsuit of the complaint. It provides both parties with pertinent court details related to the case and the instructions for both the plaintiff and defendant to proceed.
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| Supplier of Goods |
Any individual or entity involved in the chain of supply of any good for profit.
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| Supplemental Agreement |
A worker's compensation form signed by the injured employee because of a change in disability status.
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| Survival Statutes /Survival Action |
This is a law that allows legal action to be pursued even after the death of a person involved in that action. It allows compensation to be recovered for the deceased's estate, and if negligence contributed to the death, a survival action and wrongful death action can both be brought to court.
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| Swear |
To swear is to agree to tell the truth under the oath of the court. Intentionally failing to do so while under oath is perjury.
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