We understand that legal terminology can be complicated and difficult to understand. It is important that when you are looking into the legal advice available to you that the legal terms make sense and are contextual. Our Glossary is designed to assist you to navigate the site and read through its content without having to look up separately any terms or definitions.
Your business can be put into administration if it’s in debt and cannot pay the money it owes
An insurance policy incepted following an incident that warrants legal action, which provides financial cover for the insured's disbursements and opponents costs, in the event that the insured is unsuccessful in the action and is ordered to pay costs. If successful in the action, the insured will pay a premium, proportionate to the level of cover provided by the policy of insurance.
Processes of settling a legal dispute between parties outside of the court, which can include the involvement of an impartial third party that acts as an intermediary between the parties involved.
A form of Alternative Dispute Resolution that involves a professionally trained third party, who reviews the evidence and imposes a legally binding decision that is enforceable in court. Arbitration may be a compulsory aspect of any legal dispute as a contract can contain a Scott v Avery clause, meaning the parties within the contract must attempt to settle the dispute outside of the court prior to a hearing.
A legal professional that operates fraternally within a chambers to share costs and expenses, but acts as a sole practitioner with clients and the courts.
An application for financial remuneration or compensation.
A person or entity making a claim, especially in a lawsuit
If a limited company is insolvent, it can use a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to pay creditors over an agreed period. Subject to the creditors agreei, a limited company can continue trading.
A form of Intellectual Property that provides the creator of an original piece of work with a degree of exclusive rights over that creation. This can include rights over the distribution of the work, the right to be attributed and affiliated with the work publicly and the right to the integrity of the work.
A professional who renders financial services to clients.
Intentional concealment of a fact or intentional misrepresentation of a fact which the claimant relies upon and as a consequence suffers harm.
An Intellectual property right that protects the design of an object from being appropriated by others.
Where a company or organisation is wound up as a consequence of not being able to meet is financial obligation to its lender, or where its lenders debts become due and it is unable to pay.
Assets of a non financial nature that have no physical substance but are controlled and protected by legal rights. This can include assets linked to intellectual property such as patents and trademarks..
Creations of the mind such as inventions, designs or artistic works that are protected by law via copyright, trademarks or patents.
The Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which, amongst many measures, prohibited the recoverability of ATE insurance premiums from the other side in the event of successful legal action. Premiums do however remain recoverable for Defamation, privacy and Insolvency cases. This act of Parliament also severely restricted the reach of Legal Aid.
A type of trained solicitor that qualified via a professional body rather than the traditional route of university and training contract. Legal executives qualify by specialising in one or more areas of law and most occupy paralegal roles whilst studying in order to satisfy the 3 year vocational stage of the qualification
A false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation.
The process in which legal action is taken against a person, group of people, company etc.
Intervention in a dispute between two or more parties in order to bring about an agreement, settlement, or compromise.
Conduct which falls below the standard of behaviours set by the law when a reasonably prudent person would have acted otherwise in the given circumstances.
Exclusive rights to the benefits of an invention for a specified period of time.
Synonyms: patent
Pre-Action protocols explain conduct the parties should take before commencing proceedings.
Amount collected from the insurer at the end of the case, once it has been successful.
Privacy Lawyers act for individuals who bring a claim against a person or company for unacceptable invasion into their private lives; Such as being featured in a media publication or broadcast without their knowledge or breach of confidentiality.
The process in which the validty of a will is proven so that the deceased's estate can then be administered.
Proceedings refers to the point at which the party wishes the invoke the power of the courts in order to enforce
The state of being dealt with by an official receiver
A way of payment to a solicitor to see the case through until it's end, this can be either by monthly payment or advance payment.
A written document provided to the court, prior to any hearing, which summarises the issues to be addressed and the authorities that will be relied on.
Slander is a form of defamation made through communication ie speech.
A member of a branch of the legal profession whose services consist of advising clients, representing them before the lower courts, and preparing cases for barristers to try in the higher courts.
Synonyms: solicitors
Where an application is made to the court when an opponents claim is ill-founded or vexatious, resulting in the claim proceeding no further based on little or no prospects.
To institute legal proceedings against an individual or organisation, typically for some form of redress
Trade dress is the legal term used when referring to the visual appearance of a product or its packaging, which signifies the source of the product to consumers
A trade secret can be any formula, practice, process, design, instrument, commercial method or any form of confidential information that is not known of ascertainable by others, which provides the business with an economic advantage or competitive edge over competitors.
A symbol word or other device registered as representing a company or product, it legally distinguished one product from any other.
Synonyms: trademark
A legal document which contains instructions as to what should be done which a person's estate once they die.
