Abstract	Abbreviated or shortened transcription of a document or record that includes the record date, every names appearing, the relationship people named and their description (i.e. witness, executor, widow, etc.), and if they signed with their legal signature .
Ad litem	Tterm meaning in this case only. For example, "Tom Smith, duly appointed by the court, may administer ad litem the settlement of the estate of Edward Tithers, deceased."
Administration	A court action used to settle the estate of a person who died without leaving a left a will.
Affidavit	Written or oral statement made while under oath.
a.k.a.	Also known as.
Alien	A citizen of a foreign country.
Ancestry	Refers to  all of your ancestors from your parents as far back as traceable. Current estimates show that everyone has approximately 65,000 traceable ancestors, meaning ancestors whose existence can be documented in surviving records.
Assignment	Grant of property or a legal right, benefit, or privilege to another person.
Authenticate	Prove a document is not a forgery.
Birth records	A birth record contains all information about the birth of a specific individual. On a birth record, you will generall find the mother's full maiden name and the father's full name, the name of the baby, the date of the birth, and county where the birth took place.
Bond	Written, binding agreement to perform as specified. Laws require administrators and executors of estates, grooms alone or with others, and guardians of minors to post bonds.
Civil law	Laws concerned with civil or private rights, as opposed to criminal law; which is a body of law established by a nation, commonwealth, county or city.
Deed	Document transferring ownership and title of property.
Detective	A person who investigates crimes and obtains evidence or information.
Estate	Assets and liabilities of a deceased person, including land, personal belongings and debts.
et al	Latin - meaning "and others."
Evidence	Proof, such as testimony, documents, records, certificates, material objects, etc.
Genealogy	The study of one's ancestry; summary history or table of a person's ancestry.
Grantor	Person selling, granting, transferring or conveying property.
Guardian	Person lawfully appointed to care for the person of a minor, invalid, incompetent and their interests, such as education, property management and investments.
Heir	Person who succeeds, by the rules of law, to an estate upon the death of an ancestor; one with rights to inherit an estate.
Illegitimate	A child born to a woman who is not married to the father.
In testate	Term used to denote an indivudual who died without leaving a will.
Lessee	Person leasing property from an owner.
Lessor	Owner leasing property to a tenant.
Lien	Claim placed on property by a person who is owed money.
Lis pendens	Notices of suits pending litigation, usually in matters concerning land.
Litigant	Person involved in a lawsuit.
Loco parentis	In place of the parent or parents.
Marriage records	A marriage record contains information about a marriage between two individuals. On a marriage record, you usually find the brides and grooms full names, the date of the marriage, and county where the marriage took place.
Military records	US Government records with  very detailed information, such as the individual's name, their spouse's name, date of birth, place of residence, which wars the individual served in, their military organization (Navy, Marines, or Army), when the individual's service began and ended, where and when the individual died, and where the individual was buried.
Minor	A person under legal age; historically, the legal age differed from place to place and over time. (Check prevailing law to determine the legal age requirement at a specific time.)
Power of attorney	Written instrument where on persons, as principal, appoints someone as his or her agent, thereby authorizing that person to perform certain acts on behalf of the principal, such as buying or selling property, settling an estate, representing them in court, etc.
Private Investigator	A person privately hired to do investigative or detective work. Also called private detective, private eye, or PI.
Probate	Legal process used to determine the validity of a will before the court authorizes distribution of an estate; legal process used to appoint an someone to administer the estate of someone who died without leaving a will.
Probate records	Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property. They may include an individual's last will and testament, if one was made. The information you can get from probate records varies, but usually includes the name of the deceased, either the deceased's age at the time of death or birth date, property, members of the family, and the last place of residence
Real property	Land and anything attached to it, such as houses, building, barns, growing timber, growing crops, etc.
Statute	A law
Testate	Died leaving a valid will.
Vital records	Birth, marriage, and death records.