declaratory relief
n. a judge's determination (called a "declaratory judgment") of the parties' rights under a contract or a statute often requested (prayed for) in a lawsuit over a contract. .

decree
n. in general, synonymous with judgment. However, in some areas of the law, the term decree is either more common or preferred as in probates of estates, domestic relations (divorce), admiralty law and in equity (court rulings ordering or prohibiting ...

decriminalization
n. the repeal or amendment of statutes which made certain acts criminal, so that those acts no longer are crimes subject to prosecution. Many states have decriminalized certain sexual practices between consenting adults, "loitering" (hangin ...

dedication
n. the giving of land by a private person or entity to the government, typically for a street, park or school site, as part of and a condition of a real estate development.

deduction
n. an expenditure which an income tax payer may subtract from gross (total) income to determine taxable income. This is not the same as an exemption, which is for one's marital status, age over 65, blindness and number of dependents (e.g. children), ...

deed
1) n. the written document which transfers title (ownership) or an interest in real property to another person. The deed must describe the real property, name the party transferring the property (grantor),

deed of trust
n. a document which pledges real property to secure a loan, used instead of a mortgage in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.