Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 15-8.1 > Article 3 - Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage

• 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
• 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
• Birth: includes stillbirth and fetal death. 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
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• 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
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Presumed parent: means a person who is presumed to be the parent of a child under Rhode Island General Laws 15-8.1-102
• 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.
• 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
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
• 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