Terms Used In California Codes > Family Code > Division 9 > Part 3 > Chapter 3 - Spousal Support Upon Dissolution or Legal Separation

• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Authorized representative: means an individual appointed by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4541 or who is an authorized representative, as defined in Section 4701. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 4512
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consumer: means a person who has a disability that meets the definition of developmental disability set forth in subdivision (a). See California Welfare and Institutions Code 4512
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Date of separation: means the date that a complete and final break in the marital relationship has occurred, as evidenced by both of the following:

  California Family Code 70

• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Facilitation: means the use of modified or adapted materials, special instructions, equipment, or personal assistance by an individual, such as assistance with communications, that will enable a consumer to understand and participate to the maximum extent possible in the decisions and choices that affect the individual's life. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 4512
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. See California Family Code 105
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Property: includes real and personal property and any interest therein. See California Family Code 113
• Quasi-community property: means all real or personal property, wherever situated, acquired before or after the operative date of this code in any of the following ways:

  California Family Code 125

• Spousal support: means support of the spouse of the obligor. See California Family Code 142
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by Section 297. See California Family Code 143
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.