Need to know the Ad Litem definition after coming across this weird term?
Ad litem is short for “Guardian Ad Litem” or “Attorney Ad litem”, a legal term that refers to the person appointed by the court to investigate what results would be of best interest to the child (or a grownup that is legally incapacitated of representing himself) in the lawsuit at hand. The Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), then, represents that person and fights for that outcome.
The most common use for it is in divorce lawsuits. But in Real Estate it can also have many uses:
- Say a kid becomes an orphan – a GAL will be appointed to act on his or her behalf in court regarding the kid’s rights to inheritance.
- If a situation arises for a non-verbal person with special needs and no relatives that leads to a Homes for the disabled lawsuit, the court will also appoint a GAL.
- It can even be used in a property litigation: to act on behalf of an estate if the owners are unavailable or unwilling to do so.
Lastly, in case you’re wondering: The root of the Ad Litem definition comes from Latin. The word Ad Litem means “for the suit”, or “for the proceeding”.
Have a Real Estate Agent as your guardian, protecting your best interests at all times!
Popular Real Estate Terms
Landlords act of seizing a tenants property to satisfy defaulted rent payments. To distrain a tenants property the landlord must give proper legal notice and is often accompanied by ...
Divides a locality into districts for differing purposes. The map is continually kept current. It reveals the status of each district. ...
Repairing the street for safety and attractiveness. In some localities, such as on Long Island, the home owner is responsible for properly maintaining the street surrounding his home. ...
Across the globe, countries have comprehensive antitrust laws that protect customers and ensure the orderly conduct of businesses. Through antitrust laws, the playing field is balanced for ...
Constructed in place by filling holes drilled through to bearing strata with concrete. ...
Incapable of performing duties because of a lack of knowledge and training. The individual may not possess the qualifications and credentials. For example, a prospective buyer of real ...
Ownership of property transfers from the seller to the buyer when the parties sign the contract. ...
The adjusted sales price is also known as price adjustment or adjustment in appraisals. A definition for the adjusted sales price is the appraisal determined through the market approach or ...
Same as term landlocked: Parcel of land that is totally surrounded by other land parcels not providing access to a highway. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.