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;cause:In law, (2) a lawsuit, an action, or a cause of action, or (2) the wrongful act of another which gives rise to a claim for relief. See "action" and "cause of action."
;cause of action:The behaviour of a person that gives rise to a claim for relief. For example, a spouse's adultery might give rise to the other spouse's right to claim a divorce. The adulterous act is the cause of action for the divorce claim.
;certificate Certificate of costsCosts or Expenses:A Often referred to as simply a ''Certificate of Costs'', this is a document endorsed by a master or registrar stating the amount owed as "costs" by one party to the other after a trial, usually issued following a hearing to settle the amount of the costs justly owed. A certificate of costs It is a judgment of the Supreme Court and enforced like a judgment debt.;certificate Certificate of feesFees:A document endorsed by a master or registrar stating the amount a client owes to their lawyer, issued following a hearing to "assess" or "tax" a lawyer's bill and determine what portion of the lawyer's bill was reasonable and is properly owed to or refundable by that lawyer. See "account.";Certificate of Pending Litigation:A Often referred to as a "CPL" for short, this is a document filed in the office of the Land Title and Survey Authority against the title of real property; formerly called a ''lis pendens''. When a CPL is filed, stating it warns others that the property is the subject of a court proceeding and that ownership of the property may change as a result; formerly called a ''lis pendens''. In family law, a CPL is used to protect the interest of a party in a piece of property by notifying potential purchasers or mortgagees about the court proceeding. See "clear title," "encumbrance," and "real property.";''Charter of Rights and Freedoms'':Also known as the ''Charter'', the part of the ''Constitution Act, 1982'' that sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed by all Canadians, including the freedoms of religion and expression and the rights to life and liberty. Neither the federal nor the provincial governments may pass laws or act in ways contrary to the ''Charter''.
;chattel:Personal property; an item of property other than real estate. See "real property."
;child:A person who is younger than the legal age of majority, 19 in British Columbia. See "age of majority."
;corollary relief proceeding:A court proceeding under the ''Divorce Act'' in which a spouse seeks parenting orders, a child support order or a spousal support order. See "action" and "relief."
;corporal punishment:In family law, the physical punishment of a child by a parent, guardian, or another authorized person. Corporal punishment is permitted under the ''Criminal Code'', but only to a limited extent and only by certain persons, including parents and teachers.
;costs:In law, a calculation of the allowable legal expenses of a party to a court proceeding, as determined by the Supreme Court Family Rules. The party who is most successful in a court proceeding is usually awarded their "costs" of the proceeding. See "account," "bill of costs," "certificate Certificate of costsCosts or Expenses" and "lawyer's fees."
;counsel:(1) A lawyer, or (2) the advice given by a lawyer to their client.
;counterclaim:The claims made by a respondent in a court proceeding against the person starting the court proceeding. A Counterclaim is a The legal document required by the Supreme Court Family Rules in which a respondent sets out their counterclaims against a claim for claimant, is a specific remedy or relief against form called a claimantCounterclaim. See "Notice of Family Claim" and "Response to Family Claim."
;Court of Appeal:The highest level of court in the province, having the jurisdiction to review decisions of the Supreme Court, all provincial lower courts, and certain tribunals. See "appeal."
;court proceeding:A legal proceeding in which one party sues another for a specific remedy or relief, also called an "action," a "lawsuit," or a "case." A court proceeding for divorce, for example, is a proceeding in which the claimant sues the respondent for the relief of a divorce order.
;court registry:A central office, located in each judicial district, at which the court files for each court proceeding in that district are maintained, and at which legal documents can be filed, searched and reviewed.
;covenant:A promise to do or not do a particular thing. See "contract," "family law agreements," and "separation agreements."
;CPL:The short form for "Certificate of Pending Litigation." A CPL is a document filed in the office of the Land Title and Survey Authority against the title of real property stating that the property is the subject of a court proceeding and that ownership of the property may change as a result, formerly called a ''lis pendens''. In family law, a CPL is used to protect the interest of a party in a piece of property by notifying potential purchasers or mortgagees about the court proceeding. See "clear title," "encumbrance" and "real propertyCertificate of Pending Litigation."
;cross-examination:The portion of a trial where a party asks questions of a witness presented by the other party in order to challenge the witness’s recollection and truthfulness. The questions asked of the witness must be relevant to the issues and may be leading, that is, the questions may suggest their answers, for example "You didn't get home until 2:00am, did you?" See "examination-in-chief," "evidence," and "leading question."
;Crown:In law, (1) the federal and provincial governments and their departments and agencies, or (2) lawyers employed by the federal and provincial governments to prosecute criminal offences.
;''Family Relations Act'':Former provincial legislation that dealt with custody, guardianship, access, child support, spousal support, and, for married spouses, the division of family assets. Now wholly repealed except for certain lingering effects involving the division of property and agreements made or proceedings started before the ''Family Law Act'' became law. See "''Family Law Act''."
;final judgment:A judge's decision that finally determines some or all of the claims in a court proceeding, following which there is no other recourse open to a dissatisfied party except an appeal. See "decision."
;Financial Statement:A legal document required by the rules of court in which a party to a court proceeding involving child support, spousal support, the division of property, or the division of debt must describe their income, expenses, assets, and liabilities under oath or affirmation. The Provincial Court Family Rules and the Supreme Court Family Rules each have a form called ''Financial Statement''. See "affirm," "oath," and "perjury."
;finding:A conclusion made by a judge which decides a point of law or a fact in dispute.
;finding of fact:A judge’s conclusion about the facts in a court proceeding, made after hearing all the evidence. See "decision," "error of fact" and "question of fact."
;lawful:Conduct that is permitted both by the law. See "unlawful."
;lawyer:A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."
;lawyer's fees:The money charged by a lawyer to their client for the lawyer's services, usually pursuant to the terms of the lawyer's retainer agreement. Most family law lawyers bill by the hour with a premium for success or the difficulty or novelty of the case. A lawyer's bill may include "disbursements," costs incurred by the lawyer for such things as courier fees, court fees, or photocopying expenses. See "account" and "certificate Certificate of feesFees."
;lay litigant:A party to a court proceeding who is not represented by a lawyer and acts on their own behalf, also referred to as a litigant without counsel, a self-represented litigant, and a ''pro se'' litigant. "Lay" in this context means without professional training. See "action," "lawyer" and "litigant."
;leading question:A question asked of a witness, normally during cross-examination, which suggests the answer. For example: "You've never worked a day in your life, have you?" See "cross-examination."
;''non compos mentis'':A Latin phrase meaning "not of sound mind.” A legal disability arising from mental infirmity. See "disability."
;notary public:A person authorized to administer affirmations and oaths, and to execute or certify documents. All lawyers are notaries public in addition to being barristers and solicitors. See "barrister and solicitor.”
;Notice of Appeal:A legal document required by under the rules of court British Columbia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeal which is used to give notice of a party's intention to appeal a decision. See "appeal" and "decision."
;Notice of Application:A legal document required by the Supreme Court Family Rules to bring an interim application, setting out the relief claimed by the applicant, the grounds on which that relief is claimed, and the date on which the application will be heard. See "applicant," "grounds," "interim application" and "relief."
;Notice of Family Claim:A legal document required by the Supreme Court Family Rules to begin a court proceeding, setting out the relief claimed by the claimant and the grounds on which that relief is claimed. See "action," "claim," "claimant," "pleadings" and "relief."