Definition of "Ad litem"
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
fee for the cost of a loan including interest and points. Points (1 point= 1% of the total loan) are advance charges for a mortgage, whereas interest in charge over the life of the ...
A sash window having two vertically moving sashes respectively offset by sash weights. Each sash closes a different part of the window. ...
An increase in land occurring from the withdrawal of a body of water. Normally, when reliction occurs, the increase in land area belongs to the individual having water rights in the area. ...
Everyone is aware of the perplexing complexities of a real estate transaction. Enter Opendoor, a company that aims to simplify this experience. If you're a house hunter, seller, real estate ...
Highly subjective term, usually an expression of monetary worth applied to a particular piece of real estate property. ...
Place where real estate is situated. The geographic location of property affects its value. For example, real estate in a good neighborhood is worth more. ...
Removal of a tenant from a portion of a rented or leased premise. ...
Housing projects specifically designed to meet the community needs of the increasing number of individuals who are largely retired, having no small children. Adult communities are found ...
In valuing real estate, substitution is the principle that the market value of a property can be relatively accurately estimated by determining market value of similar properties in the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.