Law has a language all its own, and attorneys sometimes lapse into “legalese,” forgetting that nonlawyers may not recognize words used daily in the practice of law. Some words and phrases you might hear include:
- Dissolution of marriage: The divorce
- Petitioner: Person who files the divorce petition
- Respondent: Person who did not file the divorce petition
- Jurisdiction: Authority of a court to make rulings affecting a party
- Service: Process of notifying a party about a legal filing
- Discovery: Process during which each side provides information to each other
- Decree: The final order entered in a divorce
Never hesitate to ask your attorney the meaning of a term. Your complete understanding of your lawyer’s advice is essential for you to partner with your advocate as effectively as possible.
If you wish to speak to a divorce attorney in the San Francisco area, please call Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., at 415.834.1120.
