Terms Used In California Codes > Family Code > Division 1 > Part 2 - DEFINITIONS

• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• assessed value: means 25 percent of full value to, and including, the 1980-81 fiscal year, and 100 percent of full value for the 1981-82 fiscal year and fiscal years thereafter. See California Government Code 25
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Bureau: means the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau. See California Business and Professions Code 7601
• City: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 18
• city: means a city governed under a freeholders' charter. See California Government Code 51540
• County: includes city and county. See California Family Code 67
• 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

• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Director: means the Director of Consumer Affairs. See California Business and Professions Code 7601
• Income and expense declaration: means the form for an income and expense declaration in family law matters adopted by the Judicial Council. See California Family Code 95
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Legislative body: as used in this division , means board of supervisors in the case of a county or city and county, and city council or board of trustees in the case of a city, unless the context otherwise requires. See California Government Code 50002
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
• 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.
• order: include a decree, as appropriate under the circumstances. See California Family Code 100
• 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.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Proceeding: includes an action. See California Family Code 110
• Property: includes real and personal property and any interest therein. See California Family Code 113
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• 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

• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• 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.
• 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
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Family Code 145
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Food and Agricultural Code 49
• Support: refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a child, spouse, or family, or an amount owing pursuant to Section 17402. See California Family Code 150
• Support order: means a judgment or order of support in favor of an obligee, whether temporary or final, or subject to modification, termination, or remission, regardless of the kind of action or proceeding in which it is entered. See California Family Code 155
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.