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interlocutory decree :: legal definition


Interlocutory decree - n. a court judgment which is temporary and not intended to be final until either a) other matters come before the judge, or b) there is a specified passage of time to determine if the interlocutory decree (judgment) is "working" (becomes accepted by both parties) and should become final. Interlocutory decrees were most commonly used in divorce actions, in which the terms of the divorce were stated in an interlocutory decree, which would be in force until a final decree could be granted after a period of time (such as one year after serving the divorce petition). The theory was that this would provide for a period in which reconciliation might be possible and would also test the efficacy of the original order which might be changed upon a motion of either party. Interlocutory decrees of divorce have been abandoned as a procedure in most states, because they seldom had the desired effect and appeared to waste the parties' time.


Related Law Terms

adultery :: n. consensual sexual relations when one of the par ... s and grist for scandal newspapers.
adverse possession :: n. a means to acquire title to land through obviou ... o: possession prescriptive easement
appeal :: 1) v. to ask a higher court to reverse the decisio ... ng, as in "he has filed an appeal."
bankruptcy :: n. a federal system of statutes and courts which p ... y proceedings trustee in bankruptcy
bigamy :: n. the condition of having two wives or two husban ... d to several husbands is polyandry.
child custody :: n. a court's determination of which parent, relati ... pport custody divorce joint custody
child support :: n. court-ordered funds to be paid by one parent to ... ild custody divorce spousal support
claim against a governmental agency :: n. any time one believes he/she has a right to pay ... orter than other types of lawsuits.
class action :: n. a lawsuit filed by one or more people on behalf ... ees usually require court approval.
concurrent sentences :: n. sentences for more than one crime which are to ... ith the longest period controlling.
consent decree :: n. an order of a judge based upon an agreement, al ... he same. See also: consent judgment
copyright :: 1) n. the exclusive right of the author or creator ... plagiarism public domain trademark
court :: n. 1) the judge, as in "The court rules in favor o ... cost and wait of full court trials.
cruelty :: n. the intentional and malicious infliction of phy ... ruel and unusual punishment divorce
decision :: n. judgment, decree or determination of findings o ... (court). See also: decree judgment
decree :: n. in general, synonymous with judgment. However, ... n's estate, etc. See also: judgment
deficiency judgment :: n. a judgment for an amount not covered by the val ... o: foreclosure judicial foreclosure
divorce :: 1) n. the termination of a marriage by legal actio ... y separate property spousal support
extreme cruelty :: n. an archaic requirement to show infliction of ph ... ring the suffering spouse (victim).
final decree :: n. another name for a final judgment. In states wh ... together). See also: final judgment
final judgment :: n. the written determination of a lawsuit by the j ... : final decree interlocutory decree
foreclosure :: n. the system by which a party who has loaned mone ... ced sale mortgage notice of default
full faith and credit :: n. the provision in Article IV, Section 1 of the U ... "foreign" (out-of-state) judgment.
grace period :: n. a time stated in a contract in which a late pay ... the contract, i.e. your insurance.
hearsay rule :: n. the basic rule that testimony or documents whic ... interest dying declaration hearsay
interrogatories :: n. a set of written questions to a party to a laws ... ing. See also: deposition discovery
joint custody :: n. in divorce actions, a decision by the court (of ... em. See also: child custody divorce
judgment :: n. the final decision by a court in a lawsuit, cri ... ous with judgment. See also: decree
marriage :: n. the joining of a male and female in matrimony b ... of time without legal formalities.
not guilty :: n. 1) plea of a person who claims not to have comm ... t guilty by reason of insanity plea
option :: n. a right to purchase property or require another ... ng or upon expiration of the lease.
record :: 1) v. (ree-cored) to put a document into the offic ... eeding race to the courthouse trial
sentence :: 1) n. the punishment given to a person convicted o ... ence restitution suspended sentence
separation agreement :: n. an agreement between two married people who hav ... divorce legal separation separation
speedy trial :: n. in criminal prosecutions, the right of a defend ... hurt by the waiver. See also: trial
spousal support :: n. payment for support of an ex-spouse (or a spous ... but two. See also: alimony divorce
statute of limitations :: n. a law which sets the maximum period which one c ... ies. See also: demurrer laches toll
toll :: v. 1) to delay, suspend or hold off the effect of ... bridge or take passage on a ferry.

Popular Law Searches

legal definition ministerial act :: n. an act, particularly of a governmental employee ... exercising any individual judgment.
chancery legal definition :: n. a court that can order acts performed. Today ch ... ts in most states. See also: equity
testamentary disposition legal definition :: n. how the terms of a will divide the testator's ( ... named beneficiaries. See also: will
contract of sufferance :: n. a "hold-over" tenancy after a lease has expired ... y tenancy at will unlawful detainer
forthwith legal definition :: adv. a term found in contracts, court orders and s ... mediacy, with no excuses for delay.
forthwith definition legal :: adv. a term found in contracts, court orders and s ... mediacy, with no excuses for delay.
what is to wit in a legal contract :: prep. that is to say. Example: "the passengers in ... tty Bumgartner and Sherry Younger."
mirror wills legal definition :: n. the wills of a husband and wife which are ident ... d each names the other as executor.
clean hands doctrine latin :: n. a rule of law that a person coming to court wit ... ices. See also: affirmative defense
sine qua non only relates to contract law :: (see-nay kwah nahn) prep. Latin for "without which ... qua non of the injury to Playmate.

Other Law Terms - I

i.e. :: prep. abbreviation for id est, which is Latin for ... "e.g.," which means "for example."
illegal :: 1) adj. in violation of statute, regulation or ord ... . See also: alien illegal immigrant
illegal immigrant :: n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the Unit ... ion date of a visa. See also: alien
illusory promise :: n. an agreement to do something that is so indefin ... he may have thought was a contract.
immaterial :: adj. a commonly heard objection to introducing evi ... ons. See also: irrelevant objection
immediately :: adv. 1) at once. 2) in orders of the court or in c ... oon as can be done" without excuse.
immunity :: n. exemption from penalties, payments or legal req ... ws. See also: governmental immunity
impanel :: v. to select and install a jury. See also: impanel ... l a jury. See also: impaneling jury
impaneling :: n. the act of selecting a jury from the list of po ... e juror jury panel venire voir dire
impeach :: v. 1) to discredit the testimony of a witness by p ... ve been found guilty by the Senate.
impeachment :: n. 1) discrediting a witness by showing that he/sh ... the trial itself. See also: impeach
impleader :: n. a procedural device before trial in which a par ... than having two suits in a series.
implied :: adj., adv. referring to circumstances, conduct or ... nt implied consent implied warranty
implied consent :: n. consent when surrounding circumstances exist wh ... aybe" or "later." See also: implied
implied contract :: n. an agreement which is found to exist based on t ... : contract express contract implied
implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing :: n. a general assumption of the law of contracts, t ... -long employment. See also: implied
implied warranty :: n. an assumption at law that products are "merchan ... er. See also: caveat emptor implied
impossibility :: n. when an act cannot be performed due to nature, ... cel) a contract. See also: contract
impotence :: n. the male's inability to copulate. Impotence can ... eans inability to produce children.
impound :: v. 1) to collect funds, in addition to installment ... cases. See also: forfeit forfeiture