Class action - A lawsuit in which one or more members of a large group, or class, of individuals or other entities sue on behalf of the entire class. The district court must find that the claims of the class members contain questions of law or fact in common before the lawsuit can proceed as a class action.⏎
Contingent claim - A claim that may be owed by the debtor under certain circumstances, e.g., where the debtor is a cosigner on another person's loan and that person fails to pay.⏎
Dismissal with prejudice - Court action that prevents an identical lawsuit from being filed later.⏎
Complaint - A written statement that begins a civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff details the claims against the defendant.⏎
Court reporter - A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court, generally by using a stenographic machine, shorthand or audio recording, and then produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.⏎