Definition of "Ad litem"
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
The definition of property acquisition cost in real estate is the total recorded cost of a piece of real estate after reductions in price, incentives, closing costs and any other ...
Listing of property that is open, meaning there is no one real estate agent who has the sole right to sell the property. ...
Threat of violence to obtain a contract. ...
If you are a real estate investor and you come across this term, you might wind up wondering … What is the operating expense ratio? The operating expense ratio (OER) is a way for ...
Registered real estate broker who charge a flat fee, rather than a commission, for real estate purchase and sale transactions regardless of the property's sale price. No fee is charge if ...
An easement granted to a public utility. ...
Governmentally held records of public transactions giving constructive notice that documentation exists confirming the transaction. ...
The result of combining two or more parcels of land so that the one large parcel has more value than the sum of the individual parcels. ...
Buyer who is acting in good faith, is not aware of any outstanding claims or rights of others to the property, and has given valuable consideration as part of the business transaction. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.