Abandonment
The voluntary surrender of property, owned or leased, without naming a successor as owner or tenant. The property will generally revert to one holding a prior interest or, in cases where no owner is apparent, to the state. Abandonment does not relieve obligations associated with lease or ownership unless the abandonment is accepted by the entity to which the obligation is owed.

Agreement
The act of agreeing or of coming to a mutual arrangement. Click to view our Documents Page

Amendment
Addition, deletion, or change to a legal document. All parties to the agreement must formally consent to an amendment by signing it. Only then does the amendment become an integral part of the document, binding on all parties to the original agreement.

Apartment
A room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than one household. To view our apartment lease/rental agreement, click here.

Autocracy
Autocracy is a form of government where the monarch is unlimited by law. The autocrat has uncontrolled and undisputed authority. Its power is maintained through military or police power.

Abatement
Abatement generally refers to a lessening or reduction of something. It may refer to the removal of a problem which is contrary to public or private policy, or endangers others.

Abet
Abet means to criminally assist someone in committing a crime. Abetting may occur in planning a crime or escape from apprehension, as well as actually committing the crime. Abetting may occur through encouraging, counselling, or ordering another to commit a crime.

Acceleration Clause
An acceleration clause is a contractual provision which allows the holder to declare the remaining balance due and payable immediately upon the occurrence of a default in the obligation.

Addendum
An addendum is a thing to be added; an addition. An addendum is often used to supply additional terms to standardized contracts, such as leases. Addendum is singular; the plural form is addenda.

Adequate Disclosure
Adequate disclosure refers to meeting the minimum essential data disclosure requirements of various laws, such as gift tax return disclosures in tax law. brokers' fees in securities law, and other disclosure requirements. In the corporate context, it is the concept that financial statements and their accompanying footnotes should contain all the pertinent data believed necessary to the reader's understanding of a business's financial status.

Advance Directive
An advance care directive is a document that specifies the care a person wishes to receive in case that they are unable to communicate their wishes, such as being in a coma. To be enforceable, the person making the directive must be of sound mind, meaning that they are still able to think rationally and communicate their wishes in a clear manner. The document must be signed and notarized according to the laws in your state. Laws governing advance care directives vary by state, so local laws should be consulted for specific requirements in your area.

Advisory Opinion
An advisory opinion is a formal opinion rendered by a judge, court, or law officer in response to a request for guidance from a legislative body, government official, or other party. It differs from a decision handed down in an adversarial proceeding in that is carries no binding effect under the law. An advisory opinion is given as a matter of courtesy, often by a state attorney general at the request of government officials.

Affidavits
An affidavit is statement of facts which is sworn to (or affirmed) before an officer who has authority to administer an oath (e.g. a notary public). The person making the signed statement (affiant) takes an oath that the contents are, to the best of their knowledge, true. It is also signed by a notary or some other judicial officer that can administer oaths, affirming that the person signing the affidavit was under oath when doing so.

Affix Law
Affix means to permanently attach something to real estate, such as planting trees and shrubs, constructing a building, or adding to existing improvements. Affixed items are permanent and cannot be picked up and moved away like a dishwasher. Affix may also be used to refer to the act of signing or sealing a document, as in affixing one's signature to a note.

Agreed Judgment
An agreed judgment is a judgment which is typically entered after a memorandum of understanding, which is a written agreement shared with counsel who then incorporate it into an agreed order signed by a magistrate, the parties, and their attorneys, if applicable. It is often entered into after mediation, arbitration, or another alternative method of settlement. By filing an agreed judgment, the parties are able to avoid trial.

Alimony
Alimony is an order of a court for the support of one spouse by the other spouse. State law, which varies by state, governs the award of alimony to a spouse. On application of either party for spousal support, the court may decree an increase or decrease only upon a showing of a substantial and material change of circumstances. Alimony may terminate upon the death of either spouse, the marriage of the spouse receiving alimony or, if the Court finds that alimony should terminate in order to avoid a harsh and inequitable result.

Authorization Card
An authorization card is a form signed by an employee to designate a union as his or her bargaining agent. The union authorization card is legally binding on the employee, despite any claims the union may make to the contrary. Union authorization cards legally authorize a union to represent an employee for the purposes of collective bargaining with an employer.

Authentication
Authentication is testimony by a proper party that a document is what it is purported to be and that the party attesting to it is qualified to do so.

Attorneys
An attorney at law is an officer in a court of justice, who is employed by a party in a cause to manage the same for him.

Arbitration
Arbitration is an alternative means of settling a dispute by impartial persons without proceeding to a court trial. It is sometimes preferred as a means of settling a matter in order to avoid the expense, delay, and acrimony of litigation. There is no discovery and there are simplified rules of evidence in arbitration.

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