lex fori
Lex fori is a Latin phrase meaning “law of the forum,” and refers to the laws of the jurisdiction of the court where the action was brought. When there is a conflict of laws that may be applied to a case, the court can decide to follow the governing laws of that specific court. In such cases, the governing laws are lex fori.
For example, a California state court may have different procedural rules from New York state courts. If an action, such as a car accident, occurred in New York State between two Californian parties, the parties may then decide to bring the legal action in a California state court. While New York and California rules may both apply to the lawsuit proceedings, the California court rules are the lex fori. In contrast, lex loci is a Latin phrase that means the laws of the place where the cause of action took place.
[Last reviewed in July of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Wex