This is a Legal Dictionary for visitor reference. Please click on the letter below to search by alphabet or use the search form to find the term you are looking for.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

landlord - Owner of real estate that is leased or rented to another person, called the tenant.

Lapsed gift - A gift made in a will to a person who has died prior to the will-makers death.

larceny - Theft.

Law - The combination of those rules and principles of conduct promulgated by legislative authority, derived from court decisions and established by local custom.

Law Blank - A printed legal form available for preparing documents.

Law Clerk - In the United States, usually a law school student employed by a law firm to do research and other tasks. In the courts, a lawyer (or law school student) employed to do legal research.

lawsuit - Legal action brought by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty which resulted in harm to the plaintiff.

Leading question - A question that suggests the answer desired of the witness. A party generally may not ask one's own witness leading questions. Leading questions may be asked only of hostile witnesses and on cross-examination.

lease - Contract between two people regarding the use by one of the real or personal property of the other.

lease option - A contract between a lesser and lessee in which the lessee is able to purchase the property after the lease expires for a predetermined price.

Legal Aid - Professional legal services available usually to persons or organizations unable to afford such services.

legal custody - The right and obligation to make decisions about a child's upbringing.

Legal Process - A formal paper that is legally valid; something issuing from the court, usually a command such as a writ or mandate.

Legal Texts - Books that covers specific areas of the law, usually dealing with a single topic.

Legislation - The act of giving or enacting laws; the power to make laws via legislation in contrast to court-made laws.

Legitimate - That which is legal, lawful, recognized by law or according to law.

lemon - A newly purchased car that is not functioning properly.

Leniency - Recommendation for a sentence less than the maximum allowed.

Letters of Administration - Legal document issued by a court that shows an administrator's legal right to take control of assets in the deceased person's name.

Letters Testamentary - Legal document issued by a court that shows an executor's legal right to take control of assets in the deceased person's name.

lewd - Offensive or indecent conduct.

liability - Legal responsibility for an act or omission.

liability insurance coverage - Insurance coverage that protects the holder of the coverage by paying for the damage caused to another by the covered. Usually limited to certain amounts.

liable - A person who is legally responsible.

libel - Untruthful statement, published in writing or broadcasted, about a person that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community.

license - Contract giving permission to use an invention, creative work or trademark.

Licensing boards - State agencies created to regulate the issuance of licenses, i.e., to contractors, cosmetologists, realtors, etc.

lien - Right of a secured creditor to claim a specific item of property if a debt is not paid.

life beneficiary - A lifetime benefit given to a person usually by a trust or a will.

life estate - Property interest that gives a person the right to live on certain property for life but does not pass ownership interest onto that person.

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