family law

Ab initio is a Latin term that means "from the beginning” or “from inception.” Ab initio is used to indicate that some fact existed from the start of a relevant time period. It is often used as part of the phrase “void ab initio,” meaning something (such as a marriage) was void from the beginning.

Ab intestato is a Latin term meaning "by intestacy." The term refers to laws governing the succession of property after the previous owner of the property dies without a valid will.

[Last reviewed in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

• Latin terms

Abandon refers to the act of abandonment. A party can “abandon” in multiple fields of law and abandoning generally, though not always, involves voluntarily giving up a right.

See abandonment for more information. 

[Last reviewed in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

Abandonment is a term that generally refers to a voluntary parting or the discarding of an object with no intent to return or reclaim the item. However, it varies in application across different areas of the law.

Absolute is used commonly in property law and in divorce law meaning final or without limitations.

Abuse is an action that intentionally causes harm or injures another person. This can refer to physical abuse, psychological abuse, mental abuse, or child abuse (see below). 

Abuse is also to misuse something—e.g., abuse of process. 

Access is the right to use, communicate, or approach something or someone. Some common usages of the term “access” in a legal sense include:  

The acknowledged father is the admitted biological father of a child born to an unmarried couple.

Acknowledgment refers to a formal declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document. Some common usages of the term “acknowledgment” in a legal sense include: 

Acquisition of citizenship refers to the ability of individuals born abroad to achieve U.S. citizenship because at least one of their parents is a U.S. citizen. If the child meets the complex requirements, the child “acquires” citizenship through a parent even if the child was born abroad. The laws governing acquisition of citizenship have been changed significantly, and in order to determine a child’s eligibility for acquisition, they must look to the laws applicable for their birth year.

• foreign-born children
• Child Citizenship Act
• automatic citizenship