Law Library Legal Dictionary R (Page 3)

Legal Definitions – R (Page 3)

Retainer Fee – A type of payment made from a client to a lawyer to secure legal services before the lawyer begins working on their case.

Retaliatory Discharge – A situation where an employer discharges an employee in response to that employee exercising his or her rights. It is a form of wrongful termination.

Retaliatory Eviction – The illegal process when a landlord evicts a tenant from a rental property because of something the tenant was legally allowed to do.

Retirement Benefits – Social security benefits that are obtainable upon retirement once a person meets certain requirements.

Retirement Plan Fiduciary – An entity that has discretion in administering the benefits plan, has some control over the plan’s assets, or provides and charges a fee for financial advice.

Retirement Plan – An arrangement to provide a person with an income after retirement.

Retrieving Property after an Arrest – The process of having one’s personal property that was confiscated by the police during an arrest returned after one is released from custody.

Retroactive Child Support – Child support payments that were missed or otherwise not paid in the past. Often, these payments must still be made.

Retroactive Pay Laws – Pay for work that was already completed in the past, but at a lower hourly rate, that signifies that the employee was underpaid. The employer is required to give additional wages to the employee to remedy the underpayment.

Returning Resident SB-1 Immigrant Visa – A visa that permits a lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has traveled outside of the U.S. to return to the United States for the purpose of resuming permanent residence.

Reverse Discrimination – Employment discrimination of classes that have historically been privileged, such as Caucasians and men.

Reverse Doctrine of Equivalents – A legal doctrine that permits a patent holder to prove infringement by showing that the differences between the patented item and the item that is allegedly infringing upon the patent are insubstantial.

Reverse Mortgage – A mortgage where the consumer gets money from the lender and does not have to repay it for as long as he lives in his home. In exchange, the lender will hold onto some, most, or all of the consumer’s home’s equity.

Reversing a Guardianship Agreement – The process of legally terminating a guardianship appointment.

Reversing an Adoption – The process of legally terminating an adoption. This process is also called vacating an adoption and annulling an adoption.

Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA) – A model statute that dictates how partnerships should be set up and organized, as well as what the rights and duties of each of the partners should be.

Revocation of a Will – The process of rendering a valid will invalid. This process can only be done by the testator (i.e. the person who made the will).

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act – A federal statute that provides a way for the federal government to convict mobsters or gangsters for being a part of organized crime when they were unable to convict the defendants of specific crimes carried out by the mafia groups.

Right of Accused to Confront Witnesses – The right a criminal defendant possesses to confront the witnesses that are testifying against him or her. This is known as the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment.

Right of Privacy in Hotel Room – The limited right of privacy that a hotel patron has with regard to a hotel room that they are using legally.

Right of Publicity – The right an individual has to license the use of their identity for commercial purposes.

Right of Redemption – The right the owner of a foreclosed property has to "redeem" their property, and reclaim ownership, by paying a certain amount to the lender.

Right of Survivorship – The right of joint tenants to claim the entire property upon the death of another joint tenant.

Right to a Jury Trial – The right that some plaintiffs and criminal defendants have to select a jury to decide their case.

Right to a Safe Work Environment – The right employees have to work in a safe and healthy environment.

Right to a Speedy Trial in Criminal Cases – The right criminal defendants have to a trial starting promptly. This right is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.

Right to an Appeal – The right a criminal defendant has to appeal the trial court decision that was made for their case.

Right to Appeal an Audit – The right a person has to appeal an audit done by the IRS if they think that the outcome of the audit is unfair.

Right to Bear Arms – The right a person has to own and possess firearms. This right is guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

Right to Minor Repairs as a Tenant – The right a tenant has to direct the landlord to make minor repairs to the rental property.

Right to Notice at Removal Hearings – The right an alien has to receive notice of their immigration removal hearing before the hearing takes place.

Right to Privacy at School – The limited right a student has to privacy while in a school environment.

Right to Refuse Service – The right a business has to refuse to serve patrons under certain conditions.

Right to Remain Silent – The right a person in police custody has to refuse to answer questions being asked by the police. See also: Miranda Rights

Right to Work – The right provided by some state laws to employees that permit them to choose whether to join or support a union in their profession.

Rights and Duties of General Partners – The rights that general partners are entitled to and the duties they owe as a result of being in a partnership.

Rights and Duties of Joint Owners of Real Property – The rights that joint owners are entitled to and the duties they owe as a result of co-owning a piece of property with others.

Rights if Denied Credit – The rights a person possesses under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act after they have been denied credit.

Rights of Biological Parents – The rights that biological parents have with regard to their child during the process of adoption.

Rights of Borrowers in Foreclosures – The rights creditors have during the process of foreclosure of the property in which they have an interest.

Rights of Crime Victims – The rights victims of a crime have that are guaranteed by state and federal laws.

Rights of Criminal Defendants – The rights of defendants in criminal trials that are guaranteed by federal laws, including the Bill of Rights, and state laws.

Rights of Day Laborers & Temporary Employees – The rights that temporary employees and day laborers possess with regard to their employment.

Rights of Disabled Renters – The rights that disabled people have in the process of renting a residence.

Rights of Nonunion Employees – The rights employees who don’t belong to a union possess in the workplace without a union to protect them.

Rights of Nursing Home Residents – Rights that the residents of nursing homes enjoy with regard to their living arrangements, medical treatment, and personal needs.

Rights of Others to Enter Property That Is on Fire – The rights that people who do not own the property, such as firemen and paramedics, possess to trespass onto the property in the event that there is a fire happening on the property.

Rights of Renters in Foreclosed Homes – The rights that renters have if the home that they are renting is being foreclosed upon.

Rights of Those Accused of Sexual Harassment – The rights that defendants have once they are accused of sexual harassment.

Rights to Financial Privacy – The rights a customer of a financial institution has under the Financial Modernization Act to keep the personal information that they give to the institution private.

Rights When You Lose a Job – The rights a person enjoys when they are in the process of losing their job, such as the right to a final paycheck.

Riparian Ownership – The ownership of the water from watercourses such as lakes, rivers, and streams.

Robbery – The taking of property from another person by the use of force, intimidation, or the threat of force.

Robinson-Patman Act – A federal law that prevents unfair competition by regulating price discrimination. The law regulates price discrimination through prohibiting any person or firm engaged in interstate commerce from discriminating in price to different purchasers of the same commodity if such discrimination would "lessen competition."

Roommate Rights – Rights that a roommate possesses in relation to their use, enjoyment, and possession of a residence that they rent or own with another.

Rule against Perpetuities – A rule in estate planning that prohibits use of a contingent grant or will if it fails to vest within a certain period of time.