| Term | Everyday meaning and caution |
|---|---|
| Accrual | When a claim legally starts for time-limit purposes; it is not always the day you first speak to a lawyer. |
| Answer | A formal response to a complaint; an informal conversation is not necessarily an answer. |
| Appeal | Review of a lower decision through a defined procedure; it differs from a request to modify based on later facts. |
| Arrears | Amounts that became due and remain unpaid. |
| Automatic orders | Standard restraints that can apply in a divorce; read their actual scope and binding dates. |
| Automatic stay | Bankruptcy protection that pauses many actions, with exceptions and limitations. |
| Best interests | A child-focused legal standard applied under the jurisdiction’s law; not a promise of a particular schedule. |
| Claim | A demand or legal right; an insurance claim, government notice, and court complaint are different documents. |
| Complaint / petition | A document starting a particular court proceeding. |
| Contempt | A legal finding concerning disobedience of an order; not every disagreement or missed payment automatically qualifies. |
| CPO / ASO / ERPO | DC Civil Protection, Anti-Stalking, and Extreme Risk Protection orders, with different purposes and eligibility. |
| Custody | May concern decision-making, residence, or both; read the order rather than relying on the label. |
| Default | A consequence of not responding or appearing; relief from it may have strict requirements. |
| Discharge | Bankruptcy relief from personal liability for covered debts; some debts and liens can remain. |
| Docket | The court’s case identifier or record of filings and events. |
| Equitable distribution | A property-division approach under local law; “equitable” does not automatically mean a 50/50 split. |
| Exemption | A legal protection for specified property or income, often requiring proper assertion. |
| FD / FM | NJ family docket categories; FD commonly covers non-dissolution matters and FM matrimonial matters. |
| Filing | Delivering documents through the legally required court process; an intake form is not always a filing. |
| Filiation / parentage | Legal recognition of a parent-child relationship; procedures and terminology differ. |
| Foreclosure | A legal process enforcing a lien against property; stages and remedies depend on local law and the lien. |
| Garnishment / levy | Legal processes reaching wages or property; exemptions and debt-specific rules can apply. |
| Habitability | Basic legal obligations concerning safe and livable housing; remedies have local requirements. |
| Home state | A specialized custody-jurisdiction concept; not simply the parent’s current preferred forum. |
| Lien | A claim against specified property, which may survive a discharge of personal liability. |
| Maintenance / alimony | Spousal financial support, using jurisdiction-specific standards. |
| Mediation | A neutral-assisted settlement process; the neutral does not automatically act as either person’s lawyer. |
| Modification | A request to change an existing order under applicable standards. |
| No-fault / PIP | Certain auto-related benefits that can be separate from proving another driver’s liability. |
| Notice of claim | A required preliminary notice in some government-related cases; not the same as filing the lawsuit. |
| Parenting time / visitation | Time with a child under an agreement or order. |
| QDRO | A qualified domestic relations order used for certain retirement-plan rights; other plans may use different mechanisms. |
| Release | An agreement giving up specified claims, often as part of settlement. |
| Service | Legally required delivery or notice; valid methods and completion dates matter. |
| Statute of limitations | A legal time limit for bringing a claim; exceptions and different claim categories require review. |
| Stay | A pause imposed by law or court order; asking for review does not always create one. |
| Subrogation / reimbursement | A payer’s asserted right to recover money paid, subject to applicable law and documents. |
| Summons | Notice directing a person to respond or appear in a case. |
| TOPA | DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act; rights depend on coverage, property type, and current exemptions. |
| TRO / FRO | NJ temporary and final restraining orders; they are different procedural stages. |
| UCCJEA | A framework addressing interstate child-custody jurisdiction and enforcement. |
| VASPA | NJ’s separate protective-order statute and procedure for eligible victim situations. |
| VAWA | Federal Violence Against Women Act provisions, including particular housing and immigration protections; coverage varies. |
Know your rights · Getting started
Plain-language glossary of legal terms
General information for New Jersey, New York and Washington, DC · Last updated