Tag: Legalese

Law has its own language. Here’s some you may encounter during your divorce. Affidavit: A written statement of facts made under oath and signed before a notary public. Affidavits are used primarily for court hearings. Instead of listening to live testimony, judges may rely on the sworn statements they receive via affidavits. Affidavits may be signed by the parties or, in some cases, by witnesses. The person signing the affidavit may be referred to as the affiant. Bailiff: The bailiff provides support for the judge and lawyers in the management of the court calendar and the courtroom. He or she

A divorce decree is a court order that officially ends a marriage. In doing so, the decree defines the division of property between spouses, awards legal and physical custody of minor children, and states whether either spouse owes a child support obligation. Most decrees are written by attorneys, capturing the settlement agreements reached between spouses. These types of decrees are commonly referred to as consent decrees because both spouses consented to their contents as opposed to a judge authoring the decree after a trial. Some of the clauses contained in a divorce decree can be difficult to understand. Here are