Family Law - Those areas of the law pertaining to families, i.e. marriage, divorce, child custody, paternity, etc.
Felony - A serious criminal offense.
Fiduciary - A person or institution who manages money or property for another and who must exercise a standard care imposed by law, i.e., personal representative or executor of an estate, a trustee, etc.
File - To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court to enter into the files or records of a case.
Filing Fee - The fee required for filing various documents.
Finding - Formal conclusion by a judge or regulatory agency on issues of fact. Also, a conclusion by a jury regarding a fact.
First Appearance - The defendant comes before a judge within hours of the arrest to determine whether or not there is probable cause for his/her arrest. Also called “Initial Appearance.”
Foreclosure - A court proceeding upon default in a mortgage to vest title in the mortgage.
Forfeiture - A cancellation. A legal action whereby a contract purchaser following default loses all his/her interests in the property involved.
Fraud - A false representation of a matter of fact which is intended to deceive another.