General Litigation Glossary Terms

Usually spoken defamation (serious harming of someone’s reputation or character by making false statements) but can include gestures, sign language, and other “non-permanent” statements.

In common law, the law that details the maximum period of time that legal proceedings may be enacted after certain events. The statute of limitations will vary by the event and by state and country. In civil law, these legally maximum periods of time to begin legal proceedings are referred to as “periods of prescription”.

An agreement for the financial settlement of a lawsuit to be paid out in installments rather than in a lump sum. Structured settlements usually result from large settlements and are often created through the purchase of annuities. The payments can be structured in any way the parties choose (monthly, yearly, quarterly, etc.). Structured settlements are common in large recovery cases, often in anticipation of long-term financial and health care costs.