Glossary

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This legal glossary is a basic guide to common legal terms. A lawyer is in the best position to advise you about your legal rights and responsibilities.

Different terms may have different meanings based on the specific area of law or the context in which they are being used. For legal terms not referred to in this glossary, or for more comprehensive definitions, you may wish to refer to a legal dictionary or to an internet resource.

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Garnishee
A third party who owes money to a debtor, but must instead pay it to the court (or in family law cases, to the Family Responsibility Office), to the benefit of a creditor.
Garnishment
A process whereby a person who has a court order for payment can demand money owed to a debtor by someone else. Most often, people garnish wages or bank accounts.
General Damages
(see Damages)
Guardian/Litigation Guardian
A person given legal authority by law or court order to have decision-making responsibility for another person or their property or both, because they are not able to manage their own affairs or a person with financial decision-making responsibility in respect of a child. A litigation guardian has decision-making responsibility in another person’s lawsuit.
Guilty
  1. A verdict convicting an accused person of the crime he or she is charged with.
  2. An accused person's plea when he or she does not contest the offence he or she is charged with.