Glossary Archive

Unconscionability Defense in Contracts The unconscionability defense is a legal principle that allows a party to refuse to enforce a contract on the grounds that the terms are excessively unfair or oppressive to one party. This defense is primarily rooted in the idea of fairness and is used to protect parties from agreements that are...

Unconscionable Arbitration Clause An unconscionable arbitration clause is a provision within a contract that is so one-sided or oppressive that it is deemed to be fundamentally unfair and therefore unenforceable in a court of law. These clauses typically appear in contracts involving adhesion, where one party has significantly more bargaining power than the other, such...

Unconscionable Contract Clause An unconscionable contract clause refers to a provision within a contract that is deemed to be excessively unfair or oppressive to one party, resulting in an imbalance in the contractual relationship. This concept originates from equity law, with the intent to prevent exploitation and to uphold fairness in contractual agreements. In general,...

Underground Easement Agreement An underground easement agreement is a legal document that grants a party the right to use a specific portion of another party's property for the installation, maintenance, or operation of underground utilities or structures, such as water lines, sewer systems, electrical conduits, or telecommunications cables. This agreement typically outlines the specific area...

Probate Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person's estate is administered and distributed. This process involves validating the deceased's will, if one exists, and ensuring that the wishes expressed in the will are carried out according to the law. If there is no will (intestate), the probate court will oversee the distribution...

Undue Influence Claim in Property Transfers An undue influence claim in property transfers refers to a legal assertion that a property transfer, such as a will or deed, was executed under the coercive influence of another party, rather than the free will of the person making the transfer (the grantor or testator). This claim is...

An Unfunded Living Trust is a type of trust that has been created but does not hold any assets at the time of its establishment. Typically, a Living Trust is set up to manage an individual's assets during their lifetime and to facilitate the transfer of those assets upon their death, avoiding the probate process....

Unified Credit The Unified Credit refers to a tax credit that allows individuals to offset the amount of federal gift and estate taxes owed. Essentially, it serves to unify the treatment of gift and estate taxes under a single exclusion amount, which has been set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Unified Credit is...

Uniform Arbitration Act Compliance The Uniform Arbitration Act (UAA) is a set of laws that provides a framework for enforcing arbitration agreements and conducting arbitration proceedings. Compliance with the UAA ensures that arbitration is recognized as a valid and enforceable method of resolving disputes outside of the court system. The UAA promotes consistency in arbitration...

Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a comprehensive set of laws governing commercial transactions in the United States. It was created to standardize and harmonize laws across states, facilitating uniformity in business dealings and reducing legal uncertainties. The UCC consists of several articles that address various aspects of commercial law, including...