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
Legal responsibility for something. For example, an owner of commercial property (e.g., restaurant) is legally obligated for damages on that property (e.g., restaurant patron falls and ...
The right to possess, exclusively occupy, enjoy, control, and dispose of real estate. Ownership rights to realty are granted by the ownership of a title to real property. ...
Same as term soil porosity: Extent to which soil has cavities or pores, thereby allowing water to pass through. ...
Agreement to exchange real estate upon specific terms. ...
Buildings in England in the 16th and 17th century with strong foundations, supports, studs, and knees. In American architecture this originally building has been combined with the English ...
The equity in property because of work in it by the buyer or holder which directly increases its value. ...
Payment of the minimum tax by using legal tax planning opportunities such as estate planning. The use of tax avoidance strategies is a sound approach to retaining cash flow. On the other ...
To sign a note on behalf of another individual and, therefore, to guarantee payment. The cosigner is responsible for the loan if the borrower defaults. Such an agreement may occur in ...
Descriptive of the architectural development of property in a certain area. For example, a housing subdivision may use very similar building architecture throughout the development. All the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.