LAW FIRM
vocab for new clients
Know what these vocabulary words mean so that you can be prepared for your trial.
Defendant - someone/a company sued or accused in a court of law
Complaint - the plaintiff usually files the complaint
Summons - serve someone with a subpoena
Pleadings - a formal statement of the cause of an action or defense
Pretrial conference - at the conference, parties meet with a judicial officer and try to narrow the issues, find witnesses, discuss how long the trial will be, and the possibility of settlement
Mediation - intervention for a conflict in order to resolve it
Arbitration - the use of an arbitrator to settle a dispute
Trial - a formal examination before a judge, in order to decide guilt in a criminal case or civil proceeding
Prepondenerance of evidence - focuses on more accurate evidence rather than amount of evidence
Verdict - a decision on a disputed issue in a civil or criminal case or an inquest
Appeal - an application to the court for a decision to be reversed