Charter

What charter means

In short, charter is a term you will meet in court papers, rules and legal research. The definition above gives its usual meaning in American civil practice. However, the exact meaning can depend on the rule, statute or court decision that uses it. So it helps to read the term in context.

Where charter comes up

The term is used across many kinds of cases. For example, you may see it in pleadings, motions and court orders. To see it in context, browse the motions and procedures library or the Learn the Law topics.

How to research the term

First, read the term where it actually appears. A rule, statute or court decision may define it for its own purposes. Next, check whether your court has a local rule that uses charter in a special way. Then look at recent decisions from courts in your jurisdiction. They show how judges apply the term today. Also, remember that state law can differ from federal law. For that reason, use our state procedures guide to find your state’s rules. Finally, confirm every source is current before you rely on it.

You can read the current federal court rules online for free.

Related legal terms

• Certificate of trust: a short document, signed by the trustee, that proves a trust exists and states key facts, such as the trust's name and date and the trustee's powers, without revealing the full trust terms.
• Certiorari: a writ by which a higher court agrees to review a lower court's decision. Review by the U.S. Supreme Court on a writ of certiorari is a matter of judicial discretion, not of right (Supreme Court Rule 10).
• Chain of title: the sequence of recorded transfers of an interest in property from earlier holders to the current one.
• Charge-off: an accounting entry in which a creditor writes off a debt as a loss on its books because it does not expect to collect it.

Why precise terms matter

Legal words often look like everyday words, but they can carry a precise meaning. Because of that, a small misreading can change how you understand a deadline, a duty or a right. Our glossary keeps each definition short and links it to the procedures where it matters.