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Glossary of terms

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

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