Legal terms in plain English

From subpoenas to statutes of limitations, these are the most important legal terms you're likely to encounter — explained in plain English.

Before you sign anything, understand these key contract law terms — offer, acceptance, consideration, breach, and more.

Felony vs. misdemeanor, mens rea, bail, and everything else you need to understand the US criminal justice system.

Divorce, custody, alimony, community property — the legal vocabulary you need during life's most difficult moments.

At-will employment, non-competes, overtime rules — understand your rights in the workplace with these plain-English definitions.

Escrow, liens, easements, eviction — the legal vocabulary of buying, selling, and renting property in plain English.

Terms used in contracts — agreements, breach, damages, performance, and the words that show up in fine print.

Crimes, defenses, procedure, charges, and the vocabulary used in criminal courts.

How civil cases move through court — pleadings, motions, discovery, judgments, and appeals.

Personal-injury and civil-wrong terms — negligence, liability, damages, and standards of care.

Real-property and personal-property terms — deeds, easements, titles, leases, and ownership rights.

Marriage, divorce, custody, support, adoption, and other family-related legal terms.

Wills, trusts, inheritance, probate, and the rules around passing assets after death.

Workplace and labor terms — at-will, wrongful termination, FMLA, ADA, harassment, wage and hour.

Constitutional rights, doctrines, and the vocabulary of due process, equal protection, and judicial review.

Business entities, governance, securities, mergers, fiduciary duties, and corporate transactions.

IRS, deductions, capital gains, withholding, audits, and other tax-related terms.

Visas, green cards, naturalization, asylum, deportation, and immigration-court vocabulary.

Patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing terms.

Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13, discharge, automatic stay, and bankruptcy-court terms.

Hearsay, admissibility, privilege, burden of proof, and the rules courts use to weigh facts.

Motions, objections, voir dire, sentencing, and what actually happens inside a courtroom.

Foundational legal vocabulary — Latin terms, doctrines, and words that appear across every area of law.