(i) The statement is made to conduct, participate in, continue, or reconvene a collaborative law process. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Collaborative law participation agreement: means an agreement by persons to participate in a collaborative law process. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Collaborative law process: means a procedure intended to resolve a collaborative matter without intervention by a tribunal in which persons sign a collaborative law participation agreement and are represented by collaborative lawyers. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Collaborative lawyer: means a lawyer who represents a party in a collaborative law process. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Collaborative matter: means a dispute, transaction, claim, problem, or issue for resolution, including a dispute, claim, or issue in a proceeding, that is described in a collaborative law participation agreement and arises under the family or domestic relations law of this state, including any of the following:

  (i) Marriage, divorce, dissolution, annulment, and property distribution. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.

Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.

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.

Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.

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.

Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}

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.

Law firm: means both of the following:

  (i) Lawyers who practice law together in a partnership, professional corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, or association. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.

Nonparty participant: means a person, other than a party and the party's collaborative lawyer, that participates in a collaborative law process. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

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.

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 person that signs a collaborative law participation agreement and whose consent is necessary to resolve a collaborative matter. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Proceeding: means any of the following:

  (i) A judicial, administrative, arbitral, or other adjudicative process before a tribunal, including related prehearing and posthearing motions, conferences, and discovery. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

Prospective party: means a person that discusses with a prospective collaborative lawyer the possibility of signing a collaborative law participation agreement. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Related to a collaborative matter: means involving the same parties, transaction or occurrence, nucleus of operative fact, dispute, claim, or issue as the collaborative matter. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.

Sign: means , with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record, either of the following:

  (i) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol. See Michigan Laws 691.1332

state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o

Tribunal: means any of the following:

  (i) A court, arbitrator, administrative agency, or other body acting in an adjudicative capacity that, after presentation of evidence or legal argument, has jurisdiction to render a decision affecting a party's interests in a matter. See Michigan Laws 691.1332