Common Legal Terminology

Community Service -

A special condition the court imposes that requires an individual to work – without pay – for a civic or nonprofit organization.

Complaint -

A written statement that begins a civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff details the claims against the defendant.

Concurrent Sentence -

Prison terms for two or more offenses to be served at the same time, rather than one after the other. Example: Two five-year sentences and one three-year sentence, if served concurrently, result in a maximum of five years behind bars.

Confirmation -

Approval of a plan of reorganization by a bankruptcy judge.

Consecutive Sentence -

Prison terms for two or more offenses to be served one after the other. Example: Two five-year sentences and one three-year sentence, if served consecutively, result in a maximum of 13 years behind bars.

Consumer Bankruptcy -

A bankruptcy case filed to reduce or eliminate debts that are primarily consumer debts.

Consumer Debts -

Debts incurred for personal, as opposed to business, needs.

Contingent Claim -

A claim that may be owed by the debtor under certain circumstances, e.g., where the debtor is a cosigner on another person’s loan and that person fails to pay.

Contract -

An agreement between two or more people that creates an obligation to do or not to do a particular thing.

Conviction -

A judgment of guilt against a criminal defendant.

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All terms and definitions on this page are from uscourts.gov/glossary (April 13, 2020)