Arrearages broadly refer to being in arrears or owing a debt. There are two main uses of the term. One refers to payments in arrears that are meant to occur after they are owed, such as wages paid a week after time is entered or for invoices. Arrearage can also mean a person or business behind on paying bills, debts, or other obligations.
Autopsy rights are those given to the deceased and the next of kin to determine whether and to what extent autopsies should be performed. Typically, the individual (prior to death) and next of kin get to decide whether an autopsy is performed, but there are exceptions, such as when there is suspicion regarding the circumstances surrounding the death.
A beneficiary is an individual who receives benefits from a transaction via a contract, such as an insurance policy, a will, or trust.
The best interests of the child is a court doctrine used in custody proceedings when two parents are contesting custody of the child.
A bilateral divorce is a divorce proceeding where both parties are subject to the court’s personal jurisdiction. A bilateral divorce does not require both parties to be domiciled where the court is exercising jurisdiction, just that both parties be present.
Breach of promise, although not actionable in most jurisdictions, is a breach of a promise to marry another; in other words, it is a broken engagement. It is a tort against the breaching party. The principle of breach of promise treats the promise to marry as an enforceable contract which may entitle the non-breaching party to receive damages.
Capacity refers to the ability to make a rational decision based upon all relevant facts and considerations. Some common usages of the term “capacity” in a legal sense include:
Carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse between two people, typically requiring at least some slight penetration. Carnal knowledge is a necessary element of many sex crimes such as rape, child molestation, or consensual sexual relations with someone below the age of consent (i.e statutory rape).
Causa mortis is a Latin term referring to the awareness that death is approaching. In property law, when a party, acting with awareness that their death is approaching, gives something to another party, the resulting gift is known as a gift causa mortis.
