Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Chauntry: A special church service that used to be paid for by someone who wanted to help the souls of their loved ones who had died. Sometimes, a special part of the church was even built just for this service. This practice stopped in England a long time ago.
A chauntry (also spelled chantry) is a type of benefice in the history of the Christian church. It was endowed for the purpose of having chantry priests say Mass for the soul of the founder or their chosen individuals. This practice was abolished in England by the Chantry Acts of 1545 and 1547. A chauntry can also refer to a chapel or part of a church that was endowed for this purpose.
A chapiter (also spelled chapitre) is a list of matters drawn up by the king to be presented before the justices in eyre, justices of assise, or justices of the peace. It is a term from Law French and has a historical context.
Chapter 7 is a section of the United States Bankruptcy Code that allows a trustee to collect and liquidate a debtor's nonexempt property to satisfy creditors. This can be done either voluntarily or by court order. An individual debtor who undergoes this type of liquidation usually gets a fresh financial start by receiving a discharge of all debts. A Chapter 7 case has five stages: getting the debtor into bankruptcy court, collecting the debtor's property, selling this property, distributing the proceeds of the sale to creditors, and determining whether the debtor is discharged from further liability to these creditors.
For example, if someone owes a lot of money to creditors and cannot pay it back, they may file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7. The trustee will then collect and sell their nonexempt property to pay off as much of the debt as possible. Once this is done, the debtor may be discharged from further liability to these creditors, giving them a fresh financial start.