| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ne exeat | A writ that forbids the person to whom it is addressed to leave the country, state, or jurisdiction of the court. |
| Negligence | Failure to exercise the degree of care that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances. |
| Next friend | One acting without formal appointment as guardian for the benefit of an infant, a person of unsound mind not judicially declared incompetent, or other person under some disability. |
| No information | Document which states no formal charge will be filed by the State Attorney. |
| No probable cause | Insufficient grounds to hold the person who was arrested. |
| No true bill | A finding by a grand jury that there is no probable cause to decide that a crime has been committed. |
| No-contest clause | Language in a will that provides that a person who makes a legal challenge to the will's validity will be disinherited. |
| No-fault proceedings | A civil case in which parties may resolve their dispute without a formal finding of error or fault . |
| Nolle prosequi | The State Attorney declines to prosecute but may still initiate prosecution within one year. |
| Nolo contendere | A person neither admits nor denies the charges, letting them stand as is. |
| Non-jury trial | A case tried by a judge. |
| Notice | Formal notification to the party that has been sued in a civil case of the fact that the lawsuit has been filed. Also, any form of notification of a legal proceeding. |
| Nunc pro tunc | An entry made now for an act done previously and to have the effect as if it were done on a prior date. |
| Nuncupative will | An oral (unwritten) will. |
Glossary
