Terms Used In Delaware Code > Title 13 > Chapter 1 - Marriage

• Academic year: shall mean the 3 consecutive academic semesters beginning with the fall semester. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• Academic year: shall mean the 2 consecutive academic semesters beginning with the fall semester. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3410A
• Academic year: means the 3 consecutive academic semesters beginning with the fall semester. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3422A
• adult person: means a person of the age of 18 years or older. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Ballot: means those portions of cardboard, paper or other material to be placed within the ballot frames of a voting machine or to be used for absentee voting in order to list the names of the offices to be voted for, the name of each candidate and the designation of the party by which the candidate is nominated, a space for the voter to write in the name of any candidate of that voter's choice for any office, and the statement of any question submitted with provision for a "yes" or "no" vote. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Board: means that body of individuals appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to serve or who otherwise serve as the State Board of Elections in accordance with Chapter 2 of this title, and are, as such, vested with the responsibility and power to see to the administration of the election laws of this State as more particularly defined in this title. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Child: means as defined in § 302 of Title 1. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Clerk: means clerk of election. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Court: means the Family Court of the State of Delaware. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• CTP Program: means a federally-approved comprehensive transition and postsecondary program, under 34 C. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3422A
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Department: means the State Department of Elections, consisting of the State Board of Elections and such staff as the Board shall appoint under this title, but shall not include the State Election Commissioner. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• DSCYF: means the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families of this State. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Election officers: means the inspector of election, the 2 judges of election and the clerks of election who are appointed for each election district under § 4702 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Full-time: shall mean a minimum of 24 credit hours in each academic year. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• Full-time: shall mean a minimum of 24 credit hours in each academic year. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3410A
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Individual: means a human being. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Inhabitant: means a resident in any place. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Inspector: means inspector of elections. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Institution: shall mean Delaware Technical and Community College or the University of Delaware, Associate in Arts Program. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• Institution: shall mean Delaware State University. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3410A
• Institution: means a state-funded institution of higher education in this State that offers a CTP Program. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3422A
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• Judge: means judge of elections. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Licensed agency: means an agency to which the Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing has granted a license to place children for adoption. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• minor child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Parent: means as defined in § 8-102 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Party: means a party in a termination of parental rights proceeding under this chapter. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Petitioner: means a petitioner in a termination of parental rights proceeding under this chapter. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Primary election: means an election at which voters registered as members of a major political party may vote to determine the nominees of that political party for the general election. See Delaware Code Title 15 Sec. 101
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Recognized academic credential: shall mean a diploma or certificate of completion for a credit or noncredit training program consisting of 100 hours of instruction or more, or that requires a student to pass a licensure or certification examination approved by a federal, state or local government, regulatory body, or industry/trade group. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• Relative: means as defined in § 901 of Title 10. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• Respondent: means a respondent in a termination of parental rights proceeding under this chapter. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1101
• School activity: shall mean open house, school curriculum night, parent and teacher conference night, holiday program, or other school-related events conducted by a public middle school or high school where parents, community members, and students are encouraged to attend and participate. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• School activity: shall mean open house, school curriculum night, parent and teacher conference night, holiday program, or other school-related events conducted by a public middle school or high school where parents, community members, and students are encouraged to attend and participate. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3410A
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State Board: consists of 9 members who are citizens of this State andappointed as follows:

  (1) The Governor shall appoint, with Senate confirmation, 7 voting members. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 104

• Tenancy by the entirety: A type of joint tenancy between husband and wife that is recognized in some States. Neither party can sever the joint tenancy relationship; when a spouse dies, the survivor acquires full title to the property.
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• 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.
• Tuition: means costs associated with coursework and CTP Program-related fees. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3422A
• United States: includes its territories and possessions and the District of Columbia. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
• Violent felony: shall mean any felony listed in § 4201(c) of Title 11, except for drug-related offenses set forth in Title 16. See Delaware Code Title 14 Sec. 3402A
• Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302