Cash Advance – A cash advance is when one party, the payor, owes, or will owe, a sum of money to another party/person to be paid out at a future date, but instead the payor pays a portion of an expected future sum earlier than the scheduled payment date. A perfect example of a cash advance is if your employer gives you an advance on your paycheck. They are giving you money ahead of when you would normally get it.  A cash advance may even be provided by a third party as a typical loan or a non-recourse loan (as defined below).

Judgment – The final decision by a court in a lawsuit or appeal from a lower court’s judgment. The word “decree” is sometimes used as synonymous with judgment.

Legal Representative – A person acting for and legally authorized to execute a contract for an individual.

Lien – Any official claim against property or funds for payment of a debt or an amount owed for services rendered.

Loan – A financial transaction where one party, the borrower, receives cash from another party, the lender, where the borrower must repay the initial cash borrowed plus accrued interest to the lender over time, usually in monthly installments. If the borrower fails to repay the amount due at the due date, the lender has recourse to seek to reclaim the amount owed.

Lump sum – A sum of money paid in a single installment.

Non-recourse – “Without recourse.” A financial transaction where the financial institution is only entitled to repayment from the profits of the project that the funds are funding, not from other assets of the recipient. In the case of plaintiff cash funding, non-recourse means that if the plaintiff receives cash funding and ends up losing their case, then they do not have to repay the funds.

Personal Injury – An injury to a person’s body or mind, as the result of an accident.

Plaintiff – The person who initiates a lawsuit by filing a complaint with the clerk of the court against the defendant(s) demanding damages, performance and/or court determination of rights.

Post-settlement funding – Money being advanced after a settlement has been made but not yet awarded to the plaintiff. With the way the law is structured, it can take time for the award to come in especially if the judgement were to be appealed.

Pre-settlement funding – money being advanced to victims in personal injury or other lawsuit cases to assist with financial strain up until the settlement.

Verdict – The finding or answer of a jury given to the court concerning a matter submitted to their judgment.

Wrongful death – When a person’s death is caused by the negligent or intentional act of another person or entity.