Glossary

Plain-English Legal Glossary

A plain-English glossary for legal words that appear in court papers, agency notices, and legal help conversations.

Reviewed July 13, 2026. Laws, court rules, filing windows, and agency instructions can vary by location.

Legal words can change by setting. Use glossary pages as a starting point, then check the controlling document and source.

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Official and nonprofit sources to check

Legal rules, filing windows, court forms, and agency procedures can change. Use these links as starting points before relying on any page for an important decision.