Here are some important legal terms used in day-to-day life that law students must be aware of:


1. FIR (First Information Report) – It is a written document prepared by police when they receive information about a cognizable offence.


2. Plaint – A plaint is the initial written statement filed by a plaintiff to begin a civil lawsuit, detailing the facts of the case, the legal grounds for their claim, and the specific relief they are asking the court to grant. 


3. Written Statement – A written statement is the defendant's formal reply to the allegations made by the plaintiff in a civil suit.


4. Plaintiff – Plaintiff is the person or entity who initiates a lawsuit by filing a complaint against another party (the defendant) in a court of law to seek a legal remedy.


5. Defendant – Defendant is the party in a court case who is accused of committing a crime or against whom a civil lawsuit is filed.


6. Appeal – An appeal is the formal process of a party requesting a higher court to review, and potentially change, the decision made by a lower court.


7. Tribunal – A tribunal is a specialized body, often quasi-judicial, established to resolve disputes in specific areas of law, such as taxation, administration, or labour, as an alternative to the traditional court system.


8. Divorce – Divorce is the formal legal process that terminates a marriage and the associated legal responsibilities of the spouses, making them legally single again.


9. Legitimate – Legitimate refers to something that is lawful, right, sanctioned by law, or conforming to established rules and standards. (Legal).


10. Illegitimate – A thing or action that is not sanctioned or valid by law or custom. (Illegal).


11. Adoption – Adoption is a formal process that establishes a legal parent-child relationship between individuals who are not biologically related, permanently transferring the rights and responsibilities of parenthood from the child's biological parents to the adoptive parents.


12. Maintenance – It is the financial support paid to a dependent person, such as a wife, child, or parent, to cover basic living expenses like food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care. It ensures that those unable to support themselves can maintain a dignified standard of living, often comparable to their status before a separation or divorce.


13. Alimony – It is the amount of money a court orders a person to pay to his wife after divorce.


14. Valid – Acceptable in law or legally binding or effective.


15. Void – Having no legal force or binding effect.


16. Litigation – Litigation is the formal process of resolving disputes by initiating a lawsuit and taking legal action through the court system.


17. Monogamy – It means a person can have only one spouse at any given time, and any marriage entered into by someone with a living spouse is typically considered bigamous and illegal.


18. Bigamy – It is the criminal act of knowingly entering into a second marriage while a previous marriage is still legally valid.


19. Polygamy – It refers to the practice of having more than one spouse simultaneously, a state of marriage where one person has multiple partners at the same time.

                            

20. Crime – A crime is an act, or an omission of an act, that violates a law and is punishable by the government, usually through fines or imprisonment.


21. Agreement – An agreement is a mutual understanding or arrangement between two or more parties, signifying a "meeting of the minds" where they share a common intention regarding a particular matter, often expressed through words, conduct, or even silence.


22. Contract – A contract is an agreement between two or more parties that is legally binding and enforceable by law, creating obligations for each party to perform or refrain from performing a specific action.


23. Fraud – Fraud is the intentional use of deceit or a dishonest act to deprive another person of a legal right or to gain an unlawful advantage, often involving false statements or the concealment of facts with the intent to deceive for personal or financial gain.


24. Minor – A minor is a person who has not yet reached the legal age of majority, which is typically 18 years old in most jurisdictions, including India.


25. Indemnity – Indemnity is a contractual obligation where one party promises to compensate another for any loss, damage, or liability they may incur due to specific actions or events.


26. Guarantee – A guarantee is a contractual promise by one party (the guarantor) to answer for the debt, default, or obligation of another party (the principal debtor) if that party fails to fulfil their duties.


27. Bailment – A bailment is the temporary transfer of possession of personal property from one person (the bailor) to another (the bailee) for a specific purpose, with the understanding that the property will be returned to the bailor once the purpose is completed or otherwise disposed of according to the bailor's directions.


28. Pledge – A pledge is the bailment of personal property, the "pledge", as security for a debt or the performance of a promise.


29. Libel – Libel is the act of publishing a defamatory statement in a permanent or semi-permanent form, such as a written or printed statement, picture, or online post, that is false and harms another person's reputation or livelihood.


30. Slander – It is the false, damaging, and defamatory statement made through spoken words or other temporary means, as opposed to libel, which is written defamation. To qualify as slander, the statement must be communicated to a third party, present as fact, and harm the person's reputation or livelihood.


31. Defamation – The act of publishing a false statement about a person to a third party that harms their reputation. This false statement can be in the form of spoken words (slander) or written words or visible representations (libel). For a statement to be defamatory, it must be untrue, published to another person, and result in damage to the subject's good name.


32. Homicide – Killing of human being accidentally or incidentally, legally justified or not.


33. Genocide – Deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group.


34. Suicide – Deliberately taking one’s own life.


35. Executive – The branch of government or group of people responsible for implementing, administering, and enforcing the laws created by the legislature.


36. Legislature – The organized body within a government that holds the authority to create, amend, and repeal laws for a state or country. It is the law making branch of government and is typically composed of elected representatives.


37. Judiciary – The branch of government responsible for the legal system, comprising all the courts within a country that interpret and apply laws, settle disputes, and administer justice.


38. Constitution – Fundamental law of a county or a nation or a state.


39. Negligence – A civil wrong whereby a person or part is in breach of a legal duty of care to another, which results in loss or injury to the other person.


40. Nuisance – Nuisance is the unlawful interference with a person's use and enjoyment of their property or with a public right, causing annoyance, harm, or inconvenience.


41. Precedent – Previous decisions of Supreme Court or High Court which are a source of law in all courts.


42. Prospective – That which is applicable to the future / one which provides power and regulates the future acts of man and does not interfere in any way with what has passed.


43. Retrospective – A law, decision, or event that has legal effect from a date in the past, before its enactment.


44. Mortgage – A legal agreement where a lender provides a loan to a borrower, and the borrower pledges their real property as collateral for that loan. The property serves as security, giving the lender the right to take possession of and sell it through foreclosure to recoup the debt if the borrower fails to make the agreed-upon payments.


45. Summons – A summons is an official court document that notifies a person they are being sued, are required to appear in court, or are needed to provide evidence as a witness.


46. Ultra vires – It is a Latin legal term meaning "beyond the powers".


47. Will – A legal declaration stating how a person wishes his/her possession to be disposed off after death.


48. Warrant – A warrant is a formal, written authorization issued by a judge or magistrate that permits the performance of an action otherwise considered illegal, such as arresting a person or searching a property.


49. Public – It refers to things that are open to, affecting, or relating to the general population, the whole community, or the state.


50. Private – It refers to things intended for or restricted to use by a specific individual or group, not the public, such as a private park or a private company that doesn't trade shares openly.