Need to know the Ad Litem definition after coming across this weird term?
Ad litem is short for “Guardian Ad Litem” or “Attorney Ad litem”, a legal term that refers to the person appointed by the court to investigate what results would be of best interest to the child (or a grownup that is legally incapacitated of representing himself) in the lawsuit at hand. The Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), then, represents that person and fights for that outcome.
The most common use for it is in divorce lawsuits. But in Real Estate it can also have many uses:
- Say a kid becomes an orphan – a GAL will be appointed to act on his or her behalf in court regarding the kid’s rights to inheritance.
- If a situation arises for a non-verbal person with special needs and no relatives that leads to a Homes for the disabled lawsuit, the court will also appoint a GAL.
- It can even be used in a property litigation: to act on behalf of an estate if the owners are unavailable or unwilling to do so.
Lastly, in case you’re wondering: The root of the Ad Litem definition comes from Latin. The word Ad Litem means “for the suit”, or “for the proceeding”.
Have a Real Estate Agent as your guardian, protecting your best interests at all times!
Popular Real Estate Terms
To understand what liquidity risk entails, first, we must investigate what liquidity means. On the one hand, it refers to an individual or company’s capacity to meet debts without ...
(1) Return of the principal invested in real estate. It excludes income earned. (2) Collection of a previously written off bad debt. ...
Dehydrated gypsum that is mixed with water to form a rapidly setting material. Plaster of paris sets too rapidly to be practical for most building applications, but it is useful for ...
Underground pit or tank used to store sewage. ...
An individual's bringing a legal action against a defendant. The plaintiff wants relief from the judge against a defendant. An example is investors in a real estate investment trust (REIT) ...
Also called straight bankruptcy. A provision of the 1978 bankruptcy Reform Act providing for a persons property to be divided among creditors to satisfy his/her unpaid debts. Any debtor ...
Easement to build, maintain, and operate a disposal line for sewage. ...
An offset statement defines a specific property owner’s underwritten certificate against their property. The reason behind this action is to set forth the current condition of liens ...
Also called all inclusive trust deed (AITD). A mortgage (trust deed) that encompasses existing mortgages and is subordinate to them. The existing mortgages stay on the property and the new ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.