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Simple English definitions for legal terms
chancery
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A quick definition of chancery:
Chancery is a type of court that started in Medieval England. It was named after the Lord Chancellor. People who couldn't get help from the regular courts could ask the King of England for help, and he would send the case to the Lord Chancellor. The Court of Chancery became its own separate court with its own rules and ways of doing things. It was different from the regular courts because it tried to be fair and do what was right, not just follow strict rules. The Court of Chancery could order things like making someone do what they promised or stopping someone from doing something bad. Some states in America still have Chancery courts, but they are not very common anymore. They usually have one judge who decides what to do without a jury.
A more thorough explanation:
Chancery is a type of court that originated in Medieval England. It was named after the Lord Chancellor, who was in charge of the court. The purpose of Chancery was to provide a fair and just solution to cases that could not be resolved by common law courts.
Unlike common law courts, which could only provide monetary compensation, Chancery could order equitable relief such as specific performance or injunctions. This means that Chancery could order someone to do something or stop doing something, rather than just paying money.
Some American colonies preserved the distinction between common law and equity jurisdiction, and some states eventually established chancery courts with exclusive jurisdiction over matters in equity. Today, only a few states maintain separate chancery courts.
For example, Delaware’s Court of Chancery is known for handling corporate disputes and fiduciary litigation involving trusts and estates. Mississippi Chancery Court has jurisdiction over adoptions, custody disputes, divorces, guardianships, and sanity hearings. Both Mississippi and Tennessee give their chancery courts jurisdiction to hear name change petitions.
In general, most disputes in chancery court are heard by a chancellor, who resolves the case and fashions relief without a jury.