CourtHelp Legal Glossary

"FVI" means a person was involved with child abuse or domestic violence, and the location of a parent and/or a child that is at risk of family violence can't be revealed. The Federal Case Registry (FCR) uses this term to identify a person involved in a family violence case or order in another state.

Stands for a "free, appropriate public education." Used to describe special education rights that must be made available to people with disabilities.

A national database of information on all people with IV-D (called "4 D") cases and people with non-IV-D orders that were entered or changed on or after October 1, 1998.

9 numbers given to all employers by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This is used for collecting child support from a parent's paycheck.

This helps state and local child support enforcement agencies locate alleged fathers and parents that do not have custody of their children. The information is used to establish custody and visitation rights, establish and enforce child support payments, investigate parental kidnapping, and process adoption or foster care cases. A computerized national network and database run by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). FPLS collects address and employer information, and information on child support cases in every state; compares them; and gives this information to the proper authorities in the states involved.

The power of the federal courts to hear a case if it involves federal law, like the U.S. Constitution, acts of Congress, and treaties.

A federal program that collects overdue child support payments from parents. The program can take a parent's federal income tax refunds or federal retirement benefits.

Money that is paid for a service, like filing a court paper. Fee Dispute Resolution Program.

Permission not to pay the court's filing fees. People with very low income can ask the court to allow them to not pay the fee.

A serious crime that can be punished by more than one year in prison. Felonies are divided into five classes: A, B, C, D, and E felonies. Class A felonies carry the longest jail sentence. Class E felonies the shortest jail sentence.

Court ordered psychological and or psychiatric examination.

1. Adjective: A high standard of care. 2. Noun: A person who must use a high standard of care when they manage another person's money or property, like a trustee.

1. When a person officially gives a paper to a court clerk and that paper becomes part of the record of a case. 2. A court’s official record of a case.

A mark that shows when the court got a document.

When a court decides who the father of a child is.

Money you pay the court clerk to accept (or “file”) a complaint or petition, that starts a civil case, or other court papers, like motions and answers.

When a youth is released from foster care and a government agency has no legal custody or authority over them. This usually happens when a youth turns 21 years old or when the trial discharge period ends. Youths must be at least 18 years old to be released, unless they are returning home.

When a Judge or jury says something is a fact because of the evidence.

The money a person must pay as punishment for doing something illegal or for not doing something they were supposed to do.

A written record of an arrested person’s prior criminal history. This includes fingerprints and other biological data, commonly called a “rap sheet.”

A person’s unique finger. These marks used to identify people.

In a foreclosure case a forbearance is an agreement between the lender and borrower where the borrower pays a lump sum of money up front, and then enters into a payment plan for the remainder of the money owed.

1. A forced sale to repay a debt. 2. A court case where the mortgage lender asks the court for title to the property or to force a sale of the property to repay the debt.

Investigating a crime using knowledge and expertise in a particular subject like science, medicine, accounting, etc.

The person on a jury who tells the verdict to the court.