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

Loan guaranty program included in the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. Its provisions cover the compensation to lenders for losses they might sustain in providing financing to ...

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. ...

Map presented to a municipality's planning agency by a real estate developer for consideration and approval. ...

Insurance based on the National Flood Insurance Program, enacted By Congress in 1968. The intent of this legislation is to provide insurance coverage for those people suffering real ...

Expert in real estate who has an education in real estate appraisal as well as having significant professional experience. A recognized license may be obtained from the Member Appraisal ...

Changes made by a lessee to property during the term of the lease. In general, if the changes are permanent such as the addition of a building to lease land, the ownership of the building ...

When someone throws around the term “mobile home”, it almost requires further explanation to fully understand what that person is talking about. Why is that? Well, one mobile ...

Innovative architectural designs for either single or multi level homes and other buildings incorporating innovative features, such as passive solar heating. Contemporary building plans ...

Inflation adjusted interest rate. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions