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FAMILY / DIVORCE LAW GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of
Family Law Terms
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 #
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- P -
Palimony: Support paid from one person
to another even though they were never married.
Paralegal: A trained person who assists
a lawyer.
Parens Patriae: A doctrine whereby the
state takes jurisdiction over a minor living within its
border. It is the basis for deciding what state will assume
jurisdiction in a child custody case.
Parenting Classes: Organized classes
designed to teach parents how to minimize the negative aspects
of divorce on their children.
Party: A plaintiff or a defendant in a
legal proceeding.
Paternity: The legal biological
relationship between father and child.
Pendente Lite: Latin for "while
litigation is going on."
Perjury: The act of lying under oath in
court.
Personal Jurisdiction: The power of the
court to make orders regarding an individual and have them
enforced.
Personal Property: Property that is not
real estate.
Petition: A formal request that the
court take some action; a complaint.
Petitioner: The person who initiates
the divorce by filing the petition.
Physical Custody: It is in reference to
the parent with whom the child resides. Depending upon
arrangements, it may be joint or sole custody.
Plaintiff: The individual who files the
divorce petition, thereby initiating the divorce.
Pleading: formal written application to
the court which requests action by the court.
Postnuptial: A written contract between
husband and wife that states all of their present and future
rights in view of their impending divorce.
Praecipe: An order asking the court to
act. It is addressed to the clerk of court.
Prayer: The portion at the end of the
pleading which states the relief that is requested of the
court.
Precedent: Something that has already
happened that will influence how future similar events will be
viewed by the court.
Prenuptial Agreement: A legal contract
signed by two people before they get married. It typically
involves limitations on a spouse's rights to property,
support, and inheritance upon divorce.
Present Value: The value of a future
payment or series of future payments discounted to the current
date or to time period zero.
Primary Caretaker: The parent who
provides majority of the child's day to day care.
Privilege: The right a spouse has to
make admissions to an attorney or counselor that can not be
later used as evidence.
Pro Se Divorce: A divorce in which each
spouse represents themselves in court without an attorney.
Pro Se: On one's own behalf; not using
an attorney.
Property Division: The distribution of
property accumulated by spouses as a result of their joint
efforts during the marriage. Sometimes referred to as a
"property settlement."
Prothonothary: The court clerk in
charge of civil filings.
Purpose of an Appraisal: The states
scope of an appraisal assignment, i.e., to estimate a defined
value of any real property interest, or to conduct an
evaluation study pertaining to real property decisions
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Glossary.
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