Marriage is the legal union of individuals.The basic elements of a marriage are: (1) the parties' legal ability to marry each other, (2) mutual consent of the parties, and (3) a marriage contract as required by law.
See also Common-Law...
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marriage laws
Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
This table links to the marriage laws of the states and attempts to summarize some of their salient points. Those interested in the marriage law of a particular...
Massachusetts trust
Massachusetts trusts (also known as common-law trusts, business trusts, or unincorporated business organizations) are a unique type of trust used by individuals to run a business outside the normal legal entities such as a corporation or...
material witness
A witness who possesses information going to some fact that affects the merits of the case. Generally, the information the material witness possesses has strong probative value and few, if any, other witnesses possess the same information. Because of...
materiality
Materiality refers to the significance or importance of a piece of evidence or information in relation to a particular legal matter. It is a concept that is commonly used in every legal field. Overall, materiality revolves around the...
materialman's lien
A materialman’s lien is a statutory lien secured by real or personal property for materials used to improve, maintain, or repair property. A materialman’s lien is a subset of a mechanic’s lien, describing only those liens that arise from the...
matter of law
A matter of law, or question of law, is a determination of the applicable law as opposed to a matter of fact. Matter of law is seen in judgments as a matter of law where a judge makes a decision applying the relevant laws to irrefutable...
matter of record
A phrase referring to anything that has been recorded, either in some public or judicial record, which can accordingly be proven by referring to that record. Lawyers often use this phrase to make reference to facts recorded during the course of a trial...
Matthew Shepard Act
The Matthew Shepard Act, 18 U.S.C. § 249, also known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was enacted to expand previous hate crime legislation and to provide more funding and resources to investigate and...
mayhem
Mayhem, or to maim, is a felony at common law. Mayhem usually requires a general intent to maim or cause bodily harm accompanied by an unlawful act of physical force that either permanently dismembered the victim or disabled the use of some...