A guardian ad litem (GAL) is a person appointed by a court to look after and protect the interests of someone who is unable to take care of themselves, typically a minor or someone who is determined to be legally incompetent. They are...
family law
half blood
Half-blood means a half-brother or half-sister; siblings who share only one parent. In the context of inheritance law, different states have different laws of inheritance with regards to half-blood relatives. For example, Florida law states...
head of family
Head of family (also referred to as head of household or householder) is the person who provides for a family. The head of family provides practical support and maintenance to persons within their household, and such obligation is based on...
head of household
Head of household refers to the primary person who provides for a family. The head of household provides practical support and maintenance to persons related to them by adoption, blood, or marriage who reside together; and such obligation is...
heir
An heir is a person who may legally receive property or assets from a deceased person's estate when there is no will or trust in place; this is called dying intestate, and state laws then determine who the heirs are and how the assets are...
hereditary succession
Hereditary succession is the passing or division of an estate when a person dies without a will; also known as intestate succession.The estate of a person who has died intestate goes through probate court. The state’s intestacy laws will...
holographic will
Holographic will is an unattested will that is written and signed in the testator’s own handwriting. A holographic will, by definition, does not need witnesses to be valid. Therefore, holographic wills are different from typical wills because...
home study
A home study, also called an “adoption study”, is an investigation to determine whether the prospective adoptive parents are fit and qualified to care for a child and whether the physical environment of their home is safe and healthy for all...
household
A household can be defined as those who dwell under the same residential roof and compose a family. A household is distinct and should be distinguished from a family because a household does not need to have the same financial, emotional,...
householder
A householder is the person responsible for providing a livelihood for a household. A householder is also a tenant or holder of any residential premises (whether alone or with others) who habitually uses such residential premises on a daily...