Legal English. Practicing core skills = Английский язык для юристов профессиональные навыки. Учебное пособие по английскому языку

Study the following legal notions:

processofliquidation:thecollectionof assetsbelongingto adebtor to be applied to the discharge most of his or her debts. A type of proceeding pursuant to federal bankruptcy law by which certain property of a debtor is taken into custody by a trustee to be sold, the proceeds to be distributed to the debtor’s creditors in satisfaction of their claims.

trustee: an individual person or member of a board given control or powers of administration of property in trust with a legal obligation to administer it solely for the purposes specified.

exempt property: the bankruptcy code allows individuals who file for bankruptcy to claim certain property as exempt property. When property is exempt, it is protected from liquidation by the trustee in bankruptcy. Debtors are able to keep basic assets deemed necessary for a “fresh start” after bankruptcy.

Non-exempt property is in a bankruptcy the possessions of a person that can be sold. For example:

–expensive musical instruments, unless the debtor is a professional musician;

–collections of stamps, coins, and other valuable items;

–cash, bank accounts, stock, and other investments.

–a second car;

–a second home.

Means Test is an official investigation into a person’s financial circumstances to determine his or her eligibility for state assistance.

Ex. 1

Read and translate the following text:

Chapter 7 bankruptcy

Chapter 7 (Bankruptcy Code) governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 7 is the most common form of bankruptcy in the United States

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When a troubled business is badly in debt and unable to service that debt or pay its creditors, it may file (or be forced by its creditors to file) for bankruptcy in a federal court under Chapter 7. A Chapter 7 filing means that the business ceases operations unless continued by the Chapter 7 Trustee. A Chapter 7 Trustee is appointed almost immediately, with broad powers to examine the business’s financial affairs. The Trustee generally sells all the assets and distributes the proceeds to the creditors. This may or may not mean that all employees will lose their jobs. When a very large company enters Chapter 7 bankruptcy, entire divisions of the company may be sold intact to other companies during the liquidation.

Individuals who reside, have a place of business, or own property in the United States may file for bankruptcy in a federal court under Chapter 7 (“straight bankruptcy”, or liquidation). Chapter 7, as with other bankruptcy chapters, is not available to individuals who have had bankruptcy cases dismissed within the prior 180 days under specified circumstances.

In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the individual is allowed to keep certain exempt property. Most liens, however (such as real estate mortgages and security interests for car loans), survive. The value of property that can be claimed as exempt varies from state to state. Other assets, if any, are sold (liquidated) by the interim trustee to repay creditors. Many types of unsecured debt are legally discharged by the bankruptcy proceeding, but there are various types of debt that are not discharged in a Chapter 7. Common exceptions to discharge include child support, income taxes less than 3 years old and property taxes, student loans, and fines and restitution imposed by a court for any crimes committed by the debtor. Spousal support is likewise not covered by a bankruptcy filing nor are property settlements through divorce.

Ex. 2

Answer the following questions basing on the text:

1.What does Chapter 7 govern?

2.When may a trouble business file for bankruptcy?

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3.What does a Chapter 7 filing mean?

4.What are the duties of the trustee?

5.Who are not entitled to file for bankruptcy?

6.What debts are not discharged in the process of bankruptcy?

Ex. 3

Before watching the video fragment read and translates into Russian following words and word combinations:

bankruptcy, to file for bankruptcy, debt, to be discharged from most of the debts, to prohibit, to be eligible, monthly income, median income, nonexempt property, to distribute proceeds, valuable belongings, to be released from, to be responsible for, alimony, child support, tax.

Ex. 4

Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the words in black type:

1.Lawenforcement and identity theft agencies suggest you never write your name or address on any of your valuable belongings because of criminals and identity thieves.

2.While the bankruptcy proceedings won’t be pleasant, they will be more pleasurable filing forbankruptcy in Florida than anywhere else because there is a favorable bankruptcy law.

3.The laws of bankruptcy are designed to apply the resources of debtors to their debts and thereafter to remove such legal obligations. (Something owed, such as money, goods, or services.

4.There are some debts that are not able to be discharged due to public policy reasons, such as child support, or because the debts are a result of the debtor breaking a law such as a debt incurred while drinking and driving.

5.The sale of nonexempt property for extravagant or needless purchases might be set aside even though the purchased property might be exempt under the law.

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6.The Supreme Court recognized that the Federal Court could order the sale of an arrested vessel and distributetheproceeds to secured claimants notwithstanding the existence of foreign bankruptcy proceedings.

7.The exceptions are narrowly drawn, and most bankruptcy lawyers experience great difficulty discharging common alimony and child support.

8.Debts of fraud, child-support, alimony, or release fines can land you in jail or prevent you from being released from it.

Ex. 5

Translate some parts of the sentences into English:

1.Unauthorized use of lockers is not permitted. Students should be careful with laptops and other ценное лично принадлежащее имущество.

2.Подача документов на банкротство – сложный процесс, only bankruptcy lawyers offer unique bankruptcy and debt relief related services which can make your bankruptcy process simple and straightforward through our free bankruptcy advice.

3.An expert bankruptcy attorney who knows современные законы о банкротстве, может дать лучший совет относительно процесса банкротства.

4.Долг – это обязательство or liability to pay or render something to someone else.

5.Taxismoneythatcitizensandbusinessesmustpayдляпомощи поддержания государственной власти.

6.Текущий ежемесячный доход обозначает среднемесячный доход from all sources that the debtor receives (or in a joint case the debtor and the debtor’s spouse receive) without regard to whether such income is taxable income, derived during the 6-month period ending on the last day of the calendar month.

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7.Отдельное лицо получает освобождение от большей части своих долгов in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case.Acreditor may no longer initiate or continue any legal or other action against the debtor to collect a discharged debt.

8.Under the federal bankruptcy statute, a discharge is освобож­ дение должника от личной ответственности for certain specified types of debts. In other words, the debtor is no longer required by law to pay any debts that are discharged.

9.Ликвидация включает в себя назначение доверительного собственника, который изымает неосвобожденную собственность должника, sells it and distributes the proceeds to the creditors.

10.Ни обязательства алиментов, ни обязательства пособия на ребенка can be changed by a bankruptcy court from what family court ordered.

11.The British bankruptcy statute of Queen Anne provided for an opportunity должнику в Великобритании освободиться

от своих долгов.

12.The purpose of bankruptcy is to allow an honest debtor to be discharged (released) from his or her debt.

13.If a defendant is ordered to pay restitution, and becomes bankrupt, the restitution order is a provable debt in bankruptcy. There are some provable debts that должник не может быть

освобожден.

Watch the video fragment “Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Information: Overview of Chapter 7 – FindLaw” and do the activities.

Ex. 6

Answer the following questions:

–What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

–What is the primary purpose of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

–Is a debtor released from all of his or her debts?

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–What types of financial obligations is a debtor responsible for after the bankruptcy process?

–What is nonexempt property?

–What does it include?

–What does a liquidation process consist of?

Ex. 7

Give the English for:

подать иск о банкротстве, освободиться от большинства долгов, личная ответственность за большинство долгов, подавать иск на кого-либо, средний доход штата, иметь право на подачу иска о банкротстве, неосвобожденная собственность, транспортное средство, алименты, штраф, финансовое обязательство.

Ex. 8

Translate some parts of the sentences into English:

1.На руководителе лежит обязанность самостоятельно подать иск о банкротстве в течение месяца с момента, когда компания стала неплатежеспособной.

2.Heliopark Group, управляющая одноименной сетью отелей,

подала иск о собственном банкротстве.

3.По завершении процедуры банкротства требования кредиторов признаются погашенными, а гражданин освобождается от дальнейшего исполнения обязательств.

4.Арбитражный суд, рассматривая дело о банкротстве одного из московских банков, привлек к субсидиарной ответственности по долгам банка двух бывших председателей правления банка и одного заместителя председателя правления банка.

5.Основаниями возбуждения производства по делу о банкротстве являются подача заявления лицом, имеющим

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право на обращение по этому поводу в арбитражный суд, и наличие в заявлении указания на признаки несостоятельности должника.

6.Затем доверительный собственник продает все неосвобожденное имущество должника и передает его кредиторам в соответствии с процедурами, изложенными в зако-

нах о банкротстве.

7.Должник освобождается от финансовых обязательств, существовавших до начала процесса о реорганизации/бан-

кротстве.

Ex. 9

Studying the information from the following sites and be ready to answer the following questions:

https://www.thebankruptcysite.org/topics/your-home-bankruptcy. html

1.How manyAmericans filed personal bankruptcy?

2.Who do many people turn to for help in the case of bankruptcy? Why?

3.What are the most common consumer bankruptcies?

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/bankruptcy

1.What does bankruptcy law provide for?

2.What is the additional purpose of bankruptcy law?

3.Where is bankruptcy law contained?

4.Where are bankruptcy proceedings litigated? What are these courts?

5.What are the basic types of bankruptcy proceedings?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy

1.What is bankruptcy fraud?

2.What does bankruptcy fraud involve?

3.Who decides whether a particular asset has value or not?

4.What actions of a debtor can be regarded as bankruptcy fraud?

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ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Common Law

Read and translate the following text:

Judicial officers

Thevarious state judicialsystems provide for judicialofficers who are often called magistrates, justices of the peace, or police justices. The authority of these officials is restricted by statute, and jurisdiction is commonly limited to the county in which the official presides. The position may be elected or appointed, depending on the governing state statute. The exact role of the official varies by state; it may include handling hearings regarding violations of motor vehicle codes or breaches of the peace, presiding over criminal preliminary hearings, officiating marriages, and dispensing civil actions involving small sums of money.

U.S. magistrates are judicial officers appointed by the judges of federal district courts pursuant to the United States MagistratesAct (28 U.S.C.A. §§ 631 et seq.), enacted in 1968. This act was designed to reduce the workload of federal courts by replacing the old system of U.S. commissioners with a new system of U.S. magistrates. U.S. magistrates can perform more judicial functions than could U.S. commissioners. Federal magistrates may be assigned some, but not all, ofthedutiesofafederaljudge.Theymayserveasspecialmasters(persons appointed by the court to carry out a particular judicial function on behalf of the court), supervise pretrial or discovery proceedings, and provide preliminary consideration of petitions for postconviction relief. U.S. magistrates generally may not decide motions to dismiss or motions for summary judgment, because these motions involve ul-

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timate decision making, a responsibility and duty of the federal courts. However, if all the parties to a case agree, a federal magistrate may decide such motions and may even conduct a civil or misdemeanor criminal trial. Federal magistrates are not permitted to preside over felony trials or over jury selection in felony cases.

West’s encyclopedia of American law

Give the Russian for: a judicial officer, to be restricted by statute, to preside, position, handling hearings, civil actions, to reduce the workloadoffederalcourts,toperformjudicialfunctions,onbehalf of the court, to supervise pretrial or discovery proceedings, summary judgment, a party to a case.

Give the English for: мировой судья, нарушение мира, предварительное слушание по уголовному делу, регистрация браков, обязанности федерального суда, рассмотрение прошений о помощи лицу после его /ее осуждения, ходатайство об отводе, ходатайство о решении, вынесенном в порядке суммарного судопроизводства.

Say whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Give your reasons:

1.The authority of the judicial officials is restricted by statute, and jurisdiction is commonly limited to the county in which the official presides.

2.The position of a magistrate may only be elected.

3.U.S. magistrates are judicial officers appointed by the judges of federal district courts pursuant to the United States MagistratesAct (28 U.S.C.A. §§ 631 et seq.), enacted in 1986.

4.This act was designed to provide the magistrates with the workload of federal courts.

5.Federal magistrates may not be assigned of the duties of a federal judge.

6.Federal magistrates are not permitted to preside over felony trials or over jury selection in felony cases.

Give the summary of the text.

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Family Law

Before you watch the video-fragment, read and translate the following articles: Divorce Lawyers and Family Law Attorneys — CustodyMatch.com

Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are sometimes used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent’s duty to care for the child.

Following ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in most countries, terms such as “residence” and “contact” (known as “visitation” in the United States) have superseded the concepts of “custody” and “access”. Instead of a parent having “custody” of or “access” to a child, a child is now said to “reside” or have “contact” with a parent.

Residence and contact issues typically arise in proceedings involving divorce (dissolution of marriage), annulment and other legal proceedings where children may be involved. In most jurisdictions the issue of which parent the child will reside with is determined in accordance with the best interests of the child standard.

Physical custody involves the day-to-day care of a child and establishes where a child will live. A parent with physical custody has the right to have his/her child live with him/her. If a child lives with both parents, each parent shares “joint physical custody” and each parent is said to be a “custodial parent”.

“Legal custody” gives a parent the right to make long-term decisions about the raising of a child, and key aspects of the child’s welfare – including the child’s education, medical care, dental care, and religious instruction. In most child custody cases, legal custody is awarded to both parents (called “joint legal custody”), unless it is shown that one parent is somehow unfit, or is incapable of making decisions about the child’s upbringing.

Find in the text the following equivalents: обязанность родителя,

место постоянного проживания, вопрос о праве на посеще-

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