Legal Definitions - resettlement

The term resettlement has two distinct meanings in legal and general contexts:

• 1. Establishing in a New Place:

  This refers to the process of helping individuals or groups establish themselves in a new location, often after they have been displaced from their original homes due to conflict, disaster, or other circumstances. It involves providing support to integrate into a new community, find housing, employment, and access essential services.

  • Example 1 (International Context): After fleeing political persecution in their home country, a family is granted asylum in another nation. A non-governmental organization then assists them with resettlement by helping them find an apartment, enroll their children in school, and connect with local job placement services.

    Explanation: This illustrates resettlement as the process of aiding individuals in establishing a new life and integrating into a new society after being forced to leave their previous home.

  • Example 2 (Domestic Context): Following a devastating wildfire that destroyed an entire town, the state government initiates a program for the affected residents. This program includes financial aid and logistical support to help families purchase new land and rebuild their homes in a safer, designated area, facilitating their resettlement within the state.

    Explanation: Here, resettlement refers to the organized effort to help a community re-establish itself in a different location after a natural disaster, providing the means to create new homes and lives.

• 2. Revising a Court Order:

  In a legal procedural context, resettlement refers to the act of formally revising or clarifying a court order, judgment, or decree. This is typically done to correct minor errors, such as typographical mistakes, or to add details that were inadvertently omitted, without altering the fundamental substance or decision of the original order.

  • Example 1 (Correcting an Error): A judge issues an order detailing the terms of a business contract dispute, but the document contains a typographical error stating the wrong date for a key payment deadline. One of the attorneys files a motion for resettlement to correct this specific, non-substantive mistake in the official court record.

    Explanation: This demonstrates resettlement as a procedural step to fix a clerical error in a court order, ensuring the document accurately reflects the court's intent.

  • Example 2 (Adding Omitted Detail): A court issues a divorce decree that outlines the division of major assets but inadvertently fails to specify the exact distribution method for a jointly owned retirement account. To ensure clarity and enforceability, one of the parties requests a resettlement of the decree to include the necessary instructions for the account's division.

    Explanation: In this scenario, resettlement is used to add a missing but crucial detail to an existing court order, making it more complete and practical without changing the core decision of the divorce.