counselor

Definition

Either someone who listens to your problems for a living, or an attorney who listens to your problems and charges you $400/hour for the privilege.

Example Usage

The school counselor recommended we have our teenager speak to a counselor, so we hired a counselor.

Source: Legal and healthcare terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

complainant

The official legal term for the person doing the complaining—specifically, the party bringing a civil lawsuit or the alleged victim in a criminal case. This formal designation transforms regular griping into courtroom-appropriate terminology, distinguishing legitimate legal complaints from your uncle's Thanksgiving rants. In criminal cases, they're the victim; in civil cases, they're also called the plaintiff, because legal English loves having three terms for everything.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

accelerant

A substance that speeds up chemical reactions, most famously known for making fires spread faster—which is why arson investigators get really interested when they find petroleum products at fire scenes. In startup speak, it's sometimes used metaphorically for anything that rapidly grows a business, though actual accelerants are far more literal and illegal. Either way, things are about to get hot quickly.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

binding

A legal agreement or decision that you absolutely, positively must follow—no take-backs, no "just kidding." When something is binding, it has the force of law behind it, meaning you can't just ignore it without consequences. It's the difference between a pinky promise and a contract signed in blood (metaphorically speaking, though lawyers would probably prefer actual signatures).

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

ex parte

A proceeding brought by one party without notice to or contest by the other, Latin for 'from one side.' Judges view these with suspicion since hearing only one side is how you get terrible decisions.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

per curiam

An opinion issued by an appellate court as a whole rather than attributed to a specific judge, Latin for 'by the court.' It's how judicial panels achieve consensus by having no one take credit or blame.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

prima facie

Evidence sufficient to establish a fact unless contradicted—basically, enough proof that things look bad for one side unless they can explain themselves. It's the legal standard for 'yeah, this definitely seems sketchy.'

⚖️ Legal

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