Legal
Everyday Australian words, slang and life-admin terms for migrants, students and workers — explained in plain English and 8 other languages.
Reviewed entries
160 entriesAn official record showing who owns land and any interests registered on it.
Check the certificate of title before you buy.
change of name
nounOfficially changing your name, registered with your state's Births, Deaths and Marriages registry.
She applied for a change of name after the wedding.
charge
noun / verbA formal accusation that someone has committed a crime; to make such an accusation.
Police charged him with theft.
child support
nounRegular payments a parent makes to help cover a child's living costs after separation.
He pays child support every month.
class action
nounA legal case brought by a group of people with similar claims against the same party.
Customers joined a class action against the bank.
A free local service giving legal information and advice.
The community legal centre helped him with his tenancy problem.
A sentence requiring an offender to do unpaid work in the community.
The court gave her a community service order.
Constitution
nounAustralia's founding legal document that sets out how the federal government works.
Changing the Constitution requires a referendum.
conviction
nounA court's decision that someone is guilty of a crime.
The conviction was overturned on appeal.
copyright
nounThe legal right to control the copying and use of original creative work.
Photos online are usually protected by copyright.
court
nounA place where legal cases are heard and decided by a judge or magistrate.
The case will go to court next month.
criminal record
nounAn official record of a person's past criminal convictions.
A criminal record can affect visa applications.
custody
nounBeing held by police; also the legal care of a child.
The man was taken into custody.
damages
nounMoney a court orders someone to pay for loss or injury they caused.
She was awarded damages for her injuries.
Driving in a way that puts others at serious risk.
He was charged with dangerous driving.
A couple living together in a genuine relationship without being married.
Their de facto relationship is recognised for the visa.
defamation
nounDamaging someone's reputation by saying or publishing false statements.
The celebrity sued the newspaper for defamation.
defence lawyer
nounA lawyer who represents the accused person in a criminal case (US: defense).
His defence lawyer said he was innocent.
defendant
nounThe person accused of a crime or sued in a civil case.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
dispute
noun / verbA disagreement, especially a formal one; to argue about something.
The neighbours had a dispute over the fence.
dividing fence
nounA fence on the boundary between two properties; neighbours often share the cost.
They split the cost of the new dividing fence.
divorce
noun / verbThe legal ending of a marriage; to end a marriage legally.
They applied for a divorce after a year of separation.
duty of care
nounA legal obligation to take reasonable care to avoid harming others.
Teachers have a duty of care to their students.
easement
nounA legal right to use part of someone else's land for a purpose, such as drainage.
There is a drainage easement along the back fence.
A legal agreement setting out the terms of a job.
Read your employment contract before starting work.