custody

Definition

Legal control over something or someone, whether it's your kids after a divorce, your freedom before trial, or that rare baseball card your lawyer is holding. The term covers everything from parental rights to being detained by authorities to having possession of assets. Basically, whoever has custody gets to decide what happens next—for better or worse.

Example Usage

After the divorce, they agreed to joint custody, which meant the kids got two bedrooms and twice the birthday presents.

Source: Legal terminology

Related Terms

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ancillary jurisdiction

The power of federal courts to hear claims related to the main case even if those claims wouldn't independently qualify for federal court. It's the 'while we're here anyway' principle of judicial efficiency.

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motion to compel

A formal request asking the judge to force the other side to comply with discovery requests they've been avoiding. It's the legal equivalent of tattling to the teacher when someone won't share.

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Discovery

The legal process of making your opponent hand over every embarrassing email they have ever written. Think of it as court-ordered snooping, except the snooping costs $500 an hour.

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accuser

The person who points the finger and brings formal charges of wrongdoing against another, whether in criminal court or the court of public opinion. Unlike a mere critic or complainer, an accuser makes it official, setting in motion the legal machinery that will determine someone's fate. In legal proceedings, this is the party who shows up with receipts and a bone to pick.

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waive

To voluntarily give up a right you're entitled to, often because a lawyer convinced you it was a good idea or you didn't read the fine print. It's the legal system's "Are you sure?" moment before you surrender something valuable like attorney-client privilege or your right to sue. Once waived, these rights typically stay waved goodbye forever.

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remanded

When a higher court tells a lower court 'nice try, but do it again' and sends a case back for round two, or when a judge sends a defendant back to their temporary home in a cell while awaiting trial. It's the legal equivalent of 'return to sender' or 'see me after class.' Either way, someone's going back to square one with extra homework.

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Derivative

A financial instrument whose value is derived from something else, like a bet on a bet, which is exactly as stable as it...