Legal terms starting with S

The actual completion of the agreed-upon performance in an accord.

A court order allowing police to search a specific place for evidence.

Money a tenant pays upfront to a landlord as a guarantee against damage or unpaid rent.

The legal right to use reasonable force to protect yourself from harm.

The judge's decision on punishment after a defendant is found guilty.

Property owned by one spouse individually, not subject to division in a divorce or affected by the other spouse's debts.

A clause allowing a contract to remain valid even if one part is found unenforceable.

A provision stating that if one part of a contract is invalid, the rest remains enforceable.

A court that handles minor civil disputes involving small amounts of money, usually without lawyers.

Specific, measurable losses that result from a breach and must be proven with evidence.

A court order forcing someone to actually do what they promised in the contract.

A trust that restricts a beneficiary's ability to spend or transfer their inheritance to creditors.

Court-ordered payments from one spouse to another, typically during or after divorce proceedings.

A law allowing a person to use force, including deadly force, to defend themselves without a duty to retreat.

A pre-printed contract with fixed terms used repeatedly by one party for many transactions.

A pre-written agreement with uniform terms used repeatedly for similar transactions.

A law requiring certain contracts to be in writing to be enforceable in court.

A law setting the maximum time period within which a lawsuit can be filed after an injury or breach occurs.

An agreement between parties to settle a disputed fact or legal issue.

An older legal approach focusing on what the parties actually intended, regardless of their words.

A court order requiring someone to testify in court or produce documents or evidence.

A failure to perform a contract that goes to the heart of the deal.

Completing most of a contract obligation in good faith, even if not perfectly.

A court order requiring someone to appear in court or respond to a lawsuit.