Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 15-8.1 - Uniform Parentage Act

• Acknowledged parent: means an individual who has established a parent-child relationship pursuant to article 3 of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Adjudicated parent: means an individual who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a parent of a child. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• 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.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Alleged genetic parent: means an individual who is alleged to be, or alleges that the individual is, a genetic parent or possible genetic parent of a child whose parentage has not been adjudicated. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assisted reproduction: means a method of causing pregnancy other than through sexual intercourse and includes, but is not limited to:

  (i)  Intrauterine, intracervical, or vaginal insemination;

  (ii)  Donation of gametes;

  (iii)  Donation of embryos;

  (iv)  In vitro fertilization and transfer of embryos; and

  (v)  Intracytoplasmic sperm injection. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102

• Birth: includes stillbirth and fetal death. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Birth order: means those orders declaring parentage of a child, which may be obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction before or after birth of a child. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Child: means an individual of any age whose parentage may be determined pursuant to this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Determination of parentage: means establishment of a parent-child relationship by a judicial or administrative proceeding or signing of a valid acknowledgement of parentage pursuant to article 3 of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Director: means the director of environmental management. See Rhode Island General Laws 4-10-1
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Domestic assault: shall include any offense as set forth in § 12-29-2. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Donor: means an individual who contributes a gamete or gametes or an embryo or embryos to another individual intended for assisted reproduction or gestation, whether or not for consideration. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Embryo: means a cell or group of cells containing a diploid complement of chromosomes or a group of such cells, not including a gamete, that has the potential to develop into a live born human being if transferred into the body of a person under conditions in which gestation may be reasonably expected to occur. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• 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.
• Gamete: means sperm, egg, or any part of a sperm or egg. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Gestational carrier: means an adult individual who is not an intended parent and who enters into a gestational carrier agreement to bear a child conceived using the gametes of another individual and not the gestational carrier's own, except that an individual who carries a child for a family member using the gestational carrier's own gametes and who fulfills the requirements of article 8 of this chapter is a gestational carrier. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Gestational carrier agreement: means a contract between an intended parent or parents and a gestational carrier intended to result in a live birth. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• Identifying information: means :

  (i)  The full name of a donor;

  (ii)  The date of birth of the donor; and

  (iii)  The permanent and, if different, current address of the donor at the time of the donation. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-901

• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Intended parent: means an individual, whether married or unmarried, who manifests an intent to be legally bound as a parent of a child conceived through assisted reproduction or a gestational carrier agreement. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• License: means the certificate issued by the director to any person, firm, partnership, or corporation regularly engaged in the business of buying, selling and/or transporting live poultry to be sold or used for food. See Rhode Island General Laws 4-10-1
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Marriage: means and includes civil union and any legal relationship that provides substantially the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities as marriage and is recognized as valid in the state or jurisdiction in which it was entered. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Medical history: means information regarding any of the following:

  (i)  Present illness of a donor;

  (ii)  Past illness of the donor; and

  (iii)  Social, genetic, and family history pertaining to the health of the donor. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-901

• 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.
• Parent: means an individual who has established parentage that meets the requirements of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Parentage: means the legal relationship between a child and a parent as established under this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Presumed parent: means a person who is presumed to be the parent of a child under Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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 Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Sexual assault: shall include sexual assault as provided in § 11-37-2, child molestation as provided in Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Sexual exploitation: shall include sexual exploitation of a minor as provided in § 11-9-1, sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult as provided in chapter 37 of Title 11, and similar offenses in other jurisdictions. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Sign: means , with the intent to authenticate or adopt a record, to:

  (i)  Execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or

  (ii)  Attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102

• Signatory: means an individual who signs a record. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Spouse: includes a partner in a civil union or a partner in a legal relationship that provides substantially the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities as marriage and is recognized as valid in the state or jurisdiction in which it was entered. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• town council: include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• Transfer: means a procedure for assisted reproduction by which an embryo or sperm is placed in the body of the individual who will give birth to the child. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Witnessed: means that at least one individual is authorized to sign and has signed a record to verify that the individual personally observed a signatory sign the record. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102