A
Act of God | An accident or event resulting from natural causes without human intervention or assistance; no reasonable precaution or care could have prevented the act; for example, flood damage, lightning, earthquake or storms. |
Answer | A formal written answer to a lawsuit filed by a defendant; a legal response. |
Appeal | Requesting a higher court to reverse a court's decision when one party disagrees with the decision; requesting a higher court to examine the decision in hopes of getting it overturned. |
Arbitration | A neutral third party whose decision will be final will hear and settle a legal dispute between the plaintiff and defendant. Often considered a mini-court case; the third party is often an off-duty judge or lawyer. The two parties enter into a contract where they agree that the decision of the arbitrators shall be final. It is often seen as a route that is more efficient, faster and cheaper than litigation. |
Attorney-Client Privilege | A law that prevents divulging or forcing disclosure of anything said between an attorney and their client. This prevents people from not trusting their lawyer, and vice versa, while at the same time preventing the opposing party from requesting the discovery information. Anything said between a lawyer and the client is private. |