Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 31 > Chapter 15 > Subchapter 1 - General Provisions

• 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.
• 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.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• 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.
• 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.
• delivery: means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery and electronic transmission. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 31 Sec. 802-A
• Electronic transmission: means any process of communication that does not directly involve the physical transfer of paper and that is suitable for the retention, retrieval and reproduction of information by the recipient. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 31 Sec. 802-A
• 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.
• Foreign limited liability partnership: means a limited liability partnership formed pursuant to an agreement governed by the laws of another jurisdiction and registered under the laws of that jurisdiction. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 31 Sec. 802-A
• in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• 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.
• 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.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Registered limited liability partnership: means a partnership formed pursuant to an agreement governed by the Uniform Partnership Act and registered under this Act. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 31 Sec. 802-A
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• signature: includes any manual, facsimile, conformed or electronic signature. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 31 Sec. 802-A
• United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72