Legal Jargon

A summary or list of relevant title deeds proving the ownership history of a property, where a property is not yet registered at the Land Registry (“unregistered”).

Acas (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is the independent, government-funded public body that supports both employers and employees in resolving employment disputes and building better workplace relationships. Acas also produces guidance that is often referred to within an Employment Tribunal.

The document that is sent to the Court by the defendant to a civil claim to acknowledge receipt of the claim and to confirm whether they intend to dispute all or part of the claim.

When a court hearing is cancelled and rescheduled to a later date.

The person (often a relative) approved by the Probate Registry to deal with the estate of someone who has died without making a will.
The term can also mean an Insolvency Practitioner responsible for running a company that has entered Administration.

A road, sometimes including the footpath, and verges alongside, maintained by a Local Authority at public expense and over which the public has a right of way.

The original / total amount of the loan (mortgage) from a bank or building society.

A Court decision whereby one party in a case is ordered to pay the other’s legal fees.

Commonly referred to as “squatter’s rights”, Adverse Possesion is the occupation of land by a person that is not legally entitled to it, without permission of the owner and the means to acquire title to the land after an extended period of time (usually 12 years). A formal application must be made to the Land Registry to acquire title.

A formal written declaration made under oath, the contents of which carry the same weight as sworn statements made in Court. If the contents of an affidavit are proven to be false then the person who provided the affidavit may be held in contempt of Court, which can carry significant penalties.

Often referred to as a “Section 106 property”. The term covers various types of affordable housing schemes, including shared ownership, shared equity and low-cost housing.

This is an insurance policy that covers your legal expenses and losses in the event of an injury or loss. As the name suggests, this is an insurance policy that is taken out after the loss or injury to provide cover for legal costs incurred in litigation or arbitration.

Additional damages potentially awarded as a result of the defendant’s conduct. Aggravated damages are generally awarded to compensate the claimant for the additional harm that has been suffered.

A discount for tax purposes on the value of actively farmed agricultural land and property as part of a deceased person’s estate. When determining the value of an estate’s assets in order to calculate inheritance tax, you or your executors may be able to claim agricultural property relief, which reduces the value of agricultural land or pasture by either 100% or 50% so long as it was occupied by the owner for agricultural purposes for at least two years up to the transfer/death; or, in the case of tenanted land, it was owned for at least seven years up to the transfer/death and used for agricultural purposes during that time. Farm buildings, the farm house and woodland can also qualify subject to certain conditions.

The following assets do not qualify for agricultural property relief:

• farm equipment and machinery
• harvested crops
• derelict buildings i.e. buildings no longer capable of being used for agricultural purposes
• livestock
• property for sale for which contracts have been exchanged

The court process by which a judge decides which procedural ‘track’ a claim belongs to. See also Fast track, Intermediate Track or Multi-track.

The procedural ‘track’ for claims with a value between £5,000 – £25,000.