Legal Glossary - R
Recover/recovery - Synonymous with the legal term "award", recovery refers to the amount of money or other right received by a plaintiff in a lawsuit. Recovery may be the result of a court trial and decision by a judge or jury, or the result of an out-of-court settlement from a defendant(s) who does not wish to proceed with a trial.
Remittitur - This legal term has two different meanings. First, it may refer to a judge's order that reduces the amount awarded to a plaintiff by a jury in the event that the amount exceeds the amount requested by the plaintiff. It may also refer to an appeal court's transmittal of a case back to the trial court in order that it may be retried.
Reply - When a plaintiff's attorney files a pleading or pleadings, the defendant must respond in writing to the allegations in the pleadings. This is known as a reply. Plaintiffs may also be in the position to respond with a reply when necessary.
Request for Production - This term refers to a written document, usually during the discovery process, that requests certain records, contracts, emails, letters, faxes, and other documents connected with the lawsuit at hand. Following the request for production, the items must be delivered in a timely manner in accordance with the rules of the jurisdiction in which the case is being tried, usually 30 days.
Retain - This term refers to the hiring of an attorney. A plaintiff may "retain" a lawyer when he/she feels they have a viable case against a defendant. The act of retaining the attorney authorizes that attorney to act in the best interest of the plaintiff by, first of all, filing a complaint against the defendant and carrying out all duties associated with that lawsuit including, if necessary, representing the plaintiff in a court of law.
Last modified: December 21 2007.
