Definition of "Ad litem"

Pam & Jason Maples<br>(The Maples Team) real estate agent

Written by

Pam & Jason Maples
(The Maples Team)
elite badge icon

Grinnell Realty

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”.

Real Estate Tips:

Have a Real Estate Agent as your guardian, protecting your best interests at all times!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

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 ...

Written obligation of a borrower that is backed by collateral in the event of default. The lender must assure himself that the market value of the security equals or exceeds the amount of ...

An individual providing evidence in a trial under penalties of perjury. The witness's testimony id under oath. Observing the occurrence of an event or the transacting of a transaction ...

Floor design to provide sound insulation qualities. A floating floor is separated from the building's structure by use of special resilient materials, often fabricated from fiberglass, or ...

Also called "Grey Shell, "Bare Shell," and "Artic Shell," a Cold Shell could be described as the more radical version of a Vanilla Shell. So, what does precisely the Cold Shell definition ...

A freehold equity in a n estate, restricted to the duration of the life of the grantee or other stipulated individual. ...

In commerce and business, margin as a general term is defined as by the difference between the amount of money spent on a product and the selling price of it. The margin usually appears as ...

The maximum pre-approved amount that an individual or business can borrow without preparing a new credit request. It is a safety buffer in the event funds are needed for unexpected ...

When an Appraisal is done, its ultimate goal is to define a Market Value for that property. So, in short, market value is the value of a real estate property in a free competitive ...

Popular Real Estate Questions