Litigate

Definition

To pursue a legal claim through court proceedings. It's what happens when two parties have irreconcilable differences and deep pockets for attorney fees.

Example Usage

We decided to litigate rather than settle the employment dispute.

Origin

From Latin 'litigare' meaning to carry on a lawsuit

Fun Fact

Approximately 95% of civil cases settle before trial, despite everyone saying they'll litigate

Source: General litigation terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

negligent

The legal term for "you should have known better and now you're liable for it," describing someone who failed to exercise reasonable care and caused harm as a result. It's the sweet spot between accidentally harmful and intentionally malicious—you didn't mean to do it, but you definitely should have seen it coming. The foundation of countless lawsuits and the reason warning labels exist on everything including coffee.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

scrivener's error

A drafting or clerical mistake in a document, as opposed to a substantive disagreement. The legal profession's way of admitting someone screwed up the typing without admitting they screwed up the thinking.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

convention

A formal gathering of delegates or representatives bound by established rules and procedures—basically a fancy meeting with authority attached. In legal terms, it's also an international agreement hammered out by multiple nations who actually showed up and signed.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

deceased

A person who has achieved permanent status as 'no longer breathing'—the ultimate career move in biology. Primarily used in legal contexts where being dead is surprisingly important to paperwork.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

hazards

The various ways reality tries to ruin your day—whether it's a pothole in the road, a faulty machine, or that one coworker. In legal and safety contexts, hazards are obstacles or conditions that present danger and justify taking evasive action or filing complaints.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

Arbitration

A process where two parties who hate each other agree to let a third party they have never met settle their dispute instead of going to court. It is basically Judge Judy without the television audience and snarky one-liners.

⚖️ Legal

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