Legal Glossary - L

Last Will and Testament - A last will and testament is the latest version of a will or testament that was left by a person before they passed away. This is the legal document that will disburse his wishes for his property and value.

Lawsuit - A lawsuit is a court action or legal proceeding brought by a plaintiff against a defendant or defendants where they are seeking compensation for injury or to enforce a right. In most cases, a lawsuit has one person on both sides, although a plaintiff may select multiple defendants.

Leading Question - A leading question is a question that a lawyer asks a witness that suggests the desirable answer. Leading questions may be asked of hostile witnesses and on cross-examinations; however a lawyer may not ask their own witness a leading question.

Legal Cause - The legal cause is the reason that brought the harm to the plaintiff. It is the reason for the lawsuit or the reason the plaintiff has brought legal action against a defendant.

Liability - Liability is the obligation that one is legally bound to perform and usually involves payment of damages in monetary form to the plaintiff, as ordered by the judge and court.

Liberal Construction - Liberal construction is a judicial interpretation of the law where the judge can expand the literal legal meaning of the statute to form to cases that are within the reason of the law. Opposite to strict construction where the judge must adhere to the literal meaning of the statute.

Living Will - A living will is a form of advanced medical directives made by patients in advance of illness. A living will usually pertains to the preference of treatments being given by medical staff and designates a decision maker if the person is unable to make medical decisions on their behalf. Living wills can be either very general or very specific.

Loss of Consortium - Loss of consortium are damages that are paid to a family member, most often the spouse, for loss of companionship when someone dies from negligence.

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