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Warning
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Simple English definitions for legal terms
barratry
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A quick definition of barratry:
Definition: Barratry is when someone encourages others to sue each other just to make money for themselves. This is against the law in all U.S. states. Lawyers who do this can get in trouble and lose their license to practice law. Sometimes, lawyers will go to hospitals to find people to sue, which is also against the law. This is called "ambulance chasing." Barratry can also be used to harass people by suing them for no reason, which is called a SLAPP suit. Some states have laws to protect people from SLAPP suits and to protect freedom of speech.
A more thorough explanation:
Barratry is when someone encourages lawsuits between others in order to make money for themselves. This is illegal in all U.S. states. If a lawyer is found guilty of barratry, they can be punished by the state bar, lose their license to practice law, or even go to jail.
One example of barratry is when lawyers go to hospitals to find people who have been hurt in accidents. They try to convince these people to sue the person who caused the accident, even if the person doesn't want to. This is called "ambulance chasing."
Another example of barratry is when someone files a lawsuit just to harass or intimidate someone else. This is called a "strategic lawsuit against public participation" or SLAPP. The person filing the lawsuit knows they probably won't win, but they hope to scare the other person into stopping whatever they were doing to criticize them. Some states have laws to protect people from SLAPP lawsuits.
Both of these examples show how barratry is when someone uses the legal system to make money or cause trouble, instead of using it to seek justice.