A group of numbers and letters used to find a case in a law book or legal reference. Lawyers often cite cases that they think support their argument.
ancillary proceeding: A case that grows out of another case, or is filed to help in the original case. Examples include a motion for discovery in a criminal case, or a petition to change the property title of an estate in Surrogate’s Court.
common law: Laws that come from judge decisions, rather than from statutes (“codes”) or constitutions. It is the body of law that started in England, where U.S. law came from.
creditor: A person or business that is owed money by another.
docket number: A way to identify a case in the courts. The first two numbers show the year, then a letter shows the county, and the last six numbers are the case number.
*N= New York (Manhattan); K= Kings; Q= Queens; X= Bronx; R= Richmond (Staten Island).
eviction: When a tenant moves out of a rental unit, and the landlord sends the tenant a notice saying that the lease is terminated. Also called a “break clause.”
