Legal tender

What legal tender means

Put simply, legal tender is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.

Where legal tender 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

Start with the primary source. For example, if legal tender appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read legal tender in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

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

Related legal terms

• Legal name: the name that identifies a person for legal purposes. For an individual, it is generally the name recorded at birth unless lawfully changed, for example by marriage or court order. For a business entity, it is the name in its formation documents.
• Legal personality: the capacity to hold legal rights and duties, such as owning property, making contracts, and suing or being sued. Every natural person has it, and the law gives it to certain artificial persons such as corporations. Some arrangements do not have it; for example, under California law a trust is generally not a legal personality, and the trustee sues or is sued on its behalf.
• Lien: a legal claim against property as security for a debt.
• Lis pendens: a recorded notice that a lawsuit affecting title to real property is pending.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.