Terms Used In California Codes > Family Code > Division 8 > Part 3 > Chapter 1 - General Provisions

• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• Child: means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age. See California Family Code 3402
• Child custody determination: means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. See California Family Code 3402
• Child custody proceeding: means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. See California Family Code 3402
• Commencement: means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding. See California Family Code 3402
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Court: means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination. See California Family Code 3402
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• Department: means the State Department of Developmental Services. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 4401
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• Director: means the Director of Developmental Services. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 4401
• Modification: means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination. See California Family Code 3402
• order: include a decree, as appropriate under the circumstances. See California Family Code 100
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, or government. See California Family Code 3402
• Petitioner: includes plaintiff, where appropriate. See California Family Code 126
• Physical custody: means the physical care and supervision of a child. See California Family Code 3402
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Proceeding: includes an action. See California Family Code 110
• Respondent: includes defendant, where appropriate. See California Family Code 127
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Health and Safety Code 12.2
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Family Code 3402
• Support: refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a child, spouse, or family, or an amount owing pursuant to Section 17402. See California Family Code 150
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Tribe: means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan Native village, that is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state. See California Family Code 3402