A legal document, usually in writing, giving details of a formal legally binding agreement, between two or more different people or groups. To be legally binding it must contain certain elements: it must contain an offer made by one party and accepted in its entirety by the other, it must include some form of consideration whether it be money, goods or services, and it must be properly signed by all parties to it, and dated.

A contract in which all elements of a contract are specifically stated (offer, acceptance and consideration), and the terms are set out, as compared with an implied contract in which the existence of the contract is assumed by the circumstances.

An Islamic divorce which involves the husband either pronouncing the words ‘I divorce you’ on three separate occasions, so that the parties can effectively reconcile the marriage twice before the third pronouncement, or where a husband pronounces the same words three times in one sitting to make the divorce final without any opportunity to effect a recociliation. The latter method is sometimes called the triple talaq and is the method most commonly used. Once the talaq has been pronounced three times the husband and wife cannot be married again until the wife has married and divorced another husband.

A formal promise by one party (the guarantor or surety) to another party (the creditor) to accept responsibility of a third party’s (the principal debtor) debt, if that third party cannot or refuses to pay it.

An application for financial relief following the presentation of a petition for divorce, nullity or judicial separation. The term arises because the financial application is ancillary to the petition.