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
Managing partner of a limited partnership who is in charge of its operations. A general partner has unlimited liability. Member of a partnership who is jointly and severally liable for ...
Pump installed in the sump of a building to pump out and drain any water or liquids that have accumulated. ...
Borrower's right to redeem his property by immediately paying off the loan balance and any related costs. ...
Contract in which the borrower agrees to the terms of a loan including payment dates, interest rate, total cost of the loan, and late payment fees. ...
The units are used as commercial offices. The purchaser of an office condominium owns the title to the individual office unit and not to the property. Maintenance fees are assessed to each ...
Ownership by two or more persons that give the right to use the entire property. ...
Property deriving at least 75% of the income from personal residences. ...
Same as term spot zoning: Zoning a portion of land in a given area for different purposes than its surrounding functions. For example, a locality may decide to spot zone a vacant lot in a ...
Individual who by his expertise, education, and experience prepares syndication reports. ...

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