Definition of "Ad litem"

Pam & Jason Maples<br>(The Maples Team) real estate agent

Written by

Pam & Jason Maples
(The Maples Team)
elite badge icon

Grinnell Realty

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”.

Real Estate Tips:

Have a Real Estate Agent as your guardian, protecting your best interests at all times!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Written statement of the lender that the buyer of real estate has paid-off the entire mortgage. ...

Concrete with steel rods inserted into it to provide additional working load support. The premise is that both materials will act together in resisting loan stress. ...

Self-employed contractor who may perform work on a structure such as residential or commercial property. ...

Are you ready to unlock the secret to reaching your ideal audience? The key is market delineation! But what what does delineate mean? Join us on this real estate journey and uncover the ...

A rule that the price of a house should not exceed about 2 to 2.5 times your family's gross annual earnings. Example : If annual gross income is $70,000, the highest price one could afford ...

Residential or commercial building of two or more floors that can only be accessed through stairs. It is more common in urban areas. ...

Condition that affects the probability of losses or perils occurring. An example is possible earthquake or flood damage to a house. ...

To obtain the right through authorization to act as a legal representative and agent for another. ...

A portion of a real estate company's assets financed with debt instead of equity. It involves interest an principal obligations. Financial leverage is beneficial to real estate investors ...

Popular Real Estate Questions