Simple English definitions for legal terms
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An incident is something that happens or occurs. It can be a small event or a part of something bigger. For example, when parents get divorced, child support is an incident of that divorce. It means that child support is a part of the divorce agreement. Another example is when someone uses someone else's work without permission, that is an incident of copyright infringement.
Incident (adj.) means something that is connected with or dependent upon something else, usually of greater importance. For example, a utility easement is incident to the ownership of a tract.
Incident (n.) refers to:
Example 1: The incident of a car accident caused a traffic jam on the highway.
Example 2: The incident of a fire in the building led to the evacuation of all the employees.
Example 3: Child custody is an incident of divorce, which means it is a dependent or consequential part of the divorce process.
The examples illustrate how an incident is something that is connected with or dependent upon something else. In example 1, the traffic jam is a consequence of the car accident. In example 2, the evacuation is a dependent part of the fire incident. In example 3, child custody is a typical part of the divorce process.