Law Library Legal Dictionary – V
Legal Definitions – V
V Visa – A visa that permits a spouse or children of a U.S. lawful permanent resident to live and work in the United States on a temporary basis until they are able to apply for lawful permanent resident status, or for another visa.
Vacating a Default Judgment – The act of setting aside a judgment that was entered after a defendant has failed to reply in a timely fashion.
Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) – A government program that provides compensation for persons who have been injured by various childhood vaccines.
Vandalism – A form of property crime that involves damaging or destroying the property of another.
Variance – A request to deviate from current zoning requirements. If granted, it permits the owner to use his land in a way that is ordinarily not permitted by the zoning ordinance.
Vehicular Assault – The act of operating or driving a vehicle in a reckless manner which then causes substantial bodily harm to another.
Vehicular Manslaughter – The crime of unintentionally causing the death of a person due to illegal driving.
Veterans Benefits – Financial benefits that the federal government gives to people who have served in the military and to their families.
Vicarious Liability – The legal process of holding a person accountable for the actions of another person.
Vigilantism – The act of taking the law into one’s own hands and attempting to bring about justice according to one’s own sense of right and wrong.
Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) Prison Release Notification System – An online, electronic notification and database system that allows crime victims to access information about the custody status of offenders, 24 hours a day.
Virtual Child Visitation – A form of visitation that allows non-custodial parents to communicate with their child through the use of internet technology, such as Skype and instant messaging.
Visa Application – The paperwork that one must provide in order to apply for a visa.
Visa Cap – The limit on the number of temporary visas that can be issued each year.
Visa Lottery – A program that grants 55,000 permanent visas (green cards) per year to qualified immigrants through a somewhat randomized process that takes into account the applicant’s country of origin.
Visa Revalidation – The process of renewing one’s visa without leaving the United States. This particular process is more streamlined than extending a visa or filing for a new visa and available only for limited circumstances.
Visa Waiver Program – A program that allows nationals of selected countries to visit the United States for a maximum of 90 days without a visa.
Vishing – A scam in which a fraudster seeks to obtain personal identity information from an unsuspecting victim over the phone.
Visitation Exchange – An occurrence when physical custody of the child passes from one parent to another.
Visitation Rights – Rights that permit the non-custodial parent (the person without physical child custody) to spend reasonable time with their child.
Visitor Visa – A type of non-immigrant visa for persons who wish to enter the U.S. on a temporary basis for the purpose of pleasure, tourism, or medical treatments.
Vocational Rehabilitation – A type of worker’s compensation benefit that finances training for a person who is unable to do their old job due to a work-related injury for a job that they can comfortably do with the restrictions caused by the injury.
Voidable Contract – A valid agreement where one or both of the parties to the contract can void the contract at any time.
Voiding a Contract – Rendering a contract invalid, so that it is no longer enforceable under law.
Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) – A government program that provides volunteers of nonprofit organizations immunity from civil lawsuits from someone who believes that they have been hurt by the volunteer.
Voting Work Leave – Leave from work that employees in some states are guaranteed under law that permits them enough time to vote.
