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Legal Glossaries Index

Fair Use: The use of a portion of copyrighted material in a way that does not infringe the owner's rights. The use of a portion of material for educational purposes, literary criticism or news reporting is often considered a fair use.

Fault Auto Insurance System: Refers to a system in which the party that bears the blame (fault) for an accident is liable for any damages.

Fiduciary Duty: An obligation to act in the best interest of another party. For instance, a corporation's board member has a fiduciary duty to the shareholders, a trustee has a fiduciary duty to the trust's beneficiaries, and an attorney has a fiduciary duty to a client.

File: To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court to enter into the files or records of a case.

Fixtures: All things that are attached to property, such as ceiling lights, awnings, window shades and doorknobs. Fixtures are automatically included in a sale, unless specifically mentioned in the contract as going to the seller.

Foreseeability: A key issue in determining a person's liability. If a defendant could not reasonably have foreseen that someone might be hurt by his or her actions, then there may be no liability.