Glossary of terms by letter
C
Calderbank Letter
This is a letter making an offer of settlement prior to the case going to hearing, similar to a Part 36 Offer
Care Order
This is an order which places a child in the care of the local authority
Case Number
A unique reference number which is allocated to each case
Caution
Warning given by a Police Officer
Caveat Emptor
This essentially means "buyer beware" - a principle which still stands in property transaction
Certificate of Title
This is a document which certifies the legal ownership of land
Chambers
Offices used by a barrister. Alternatively, a private Court from which the public are excluded in which a Judge may conduct certain hearings
Chancery Division
A section of the High Court, divided between Chancery Chambers and Bankruptcy and Companies Court
Charge
Security for the payment of a debt upon sale of a property
Charging Order
This is a charge imposed by the court on the debtor's property to secure payment of the sum that is due and also An order directing that a charge be registered at the Land Registry on property owned by a Debtor
Chattel
This refers to any property except freehold land
Child Maintenance
Money due from a non-resident parent to the parent with whom the child lives
Circuit Judge
Circuit judges must be lawyers who have held a 'right of audience' for at least ten years, and must also have served either part-time as a recorder on criminal cases or full-time as district judges on civil cases before they can be appointed.
Civil
Matters concerning private rights as opposed to offences against the state
Civil Partner
A member of a same-sex couple
Claim
Proceedings issued in the County or High Court. Previously known as an Action.
Claim Form
Form on which a Claim is issued (previously known as a Summons).
Claimant
Person issuing a Claim (previously known as the Plaintiff)
Clean break
This is where financial matters are agreed by the parties in full and final settlement and there is no ongoing financial arrangement between them either in terms of income or capital
Click-Wrap Licence
This is a licence for software either downloaded from a website or loaded from disk, where the licence terms are accepted on screen by following a "click to accept" procedure
Closed Source
Software which does not allow its code to be manipulated by end-users
Co-Respondent
A person joined as a party to proceedings
Codicil
A codicil is an addition or amendment to an existing will
Coexistence Agreement
Trademark coexistence describes a situation in which two different enterprises use a similar or identical trademark to market a product or service without necessarily interfering with each other's businesses