Caveat – Legal Maxim of the Day

century law firm legal maxim caveat

Term- Caveat

Translation- May he beware

Definition- When used by itself, refers to a qualification, or warning.

Caveat is a legal term that refers to a warning or cautionary statement. In legal contexts, a caveat can refer to several different things depending on the specific context.

One common use of caveat is in the context of property law. A caveat can be lodged with a land registry or other property authority to prevent a specific action from being taken regarding a particular property. For example, if someone believes that they have a legal interest in a property and wish to prevent it from being sold or transferred without their consent, they may lodge a caveat with the relevant authority to put others on notice of their claim.

Another common use of caveat is in the context of probate law. A caveat can be filed to prevent a will from being admitted to probate or to dispute the validity of a will. This can be done if a person has reason to believe that the will is not valid, or if they wish to challenge the distribution of the deceased person’s assets.

Overall, caveat is a legal term that is used to indicate a warning or cautionary statement. In legal contexts, it is often used to refer to a formal notice that is lodged to prevent a specific action from being taken or to dispute the validity of a legal document or claim.