Courtroom vocabulary

  • Petitioner / Respondent: the party who files the case, and the party it’s filed against.
  • Conservatorship: the Texas term for custody — the legal rights and duties a parent has, separate from how much time they have with the child.
  • Possession: the Texas term for visitation — the actual time each parent has with the child.
  • Direct examination: questioning your own witness. Cross-examination: questioning the other side’s witness.
  • Deposition: sworn testimony taken outside of court, usually to gather facts before trial.
  • Objection / Sustained / Overruled: a formal challenge to a question or evidence; the judge either agrees (sustained) or disagrees (overruled).
  • Decree / Final Judgment: the final signed order resolving all issues in the case.
  • Stipulation: an agreement between the parties that becomes binding once accepted by the court.
  • Subpoena: a legal order requiring someone to appear and testify, or produce documents.