Legal Definitions - filare

Filare is a historical legal term, originating from Law Latin, that means to file. In past legal practice, to filare a document meant to formally submit it to a court, clerk, or other official authority for inclusion in the public record or for official consideration. It signifies the act of placing a document on record.

• Imagine a litigant in 15th-century England wishing to bring a complaint before the King's Bench. They would need to prepare a formal written petition or writ outlining their grievance. The act of presenting this document to the court clerk for official acceptance and recording, thereby initiating the legal process, would have been referred to as filare the petition. This example illustrates filare as the formal submission of a legal document to begin a case or action.

• Consider a medieval manor lord who was required to keep detailed records of land transactions, fealty oaths, and judicial decisions made within his jurisdiction. When these records, perhaps compiled into a manorial roll, were formally presented to a higher royal court or a designated official for review and archival purposes, the act of submitting them for the official record would be an instance of filare. This demonstrates filare as the act of placing important administrative or legal documents into an official archive for preservation and reference.

• In a historical context, after a person's death, their last will and testament might need to be formally presented to an ecclesiastical court or a similar probate authority to be validated and executed. The act of the executor or a family member formally delivering this will to the court clerk to be placed on record and processed would be an example of filare the will. This shows filare in the context of formally registering a crucial personal legal document with an official body to ensure its legal effect.