Q
QMSCO (Qualified Medical Child Support Order):
An order, decree, or judgment, including approval of a settlement agreement, issued by a court or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, that provides for the medical support of a child under a group health plan or otherwise provides for health benefit coverage to such child. Refer to Medical Support.
QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order):
A special court order required to comply with federal law (ERISA) governing “qualified” pension or retirement benefits when they are used to provide alimony, financial child support, or divide marital property at separation. Pronounced “kwad-row”, the order is directed to a third party administrator or account custodian allocating retirement benefits between spouses. QDROs often are used when one party has a large pension or 401K plan, but liquid assets are insufficient to level support to the other party without accessing pension benefits. Refer to Equitable Distribution, Marital Property or Community Property.
Quality of Life:
The characteristics of a location's living conditions, including income, housing, education, transportation infrastructure, leisure-time offerings, climate, spousal employment opportunities, medical and healthcare infrastructure and environmental qualities that a person or family has routinely enjoyed and become accustomed. Quality of life may be used as a determining factor by the court in awarding financial support to a spouse or children. Refer to Extraordinary Expense or Alimony.
Quash:
A request to annul, void, declare invalid or otherwise set aside a summons, indictment, motion, subpoena or other such action in the instance of a legal irregularity. Refer to Motion.
Quasi:
A Latin term meaning "as if," almost, somewhat, or to a degree and always used in combination with another word. Quasi refers to things and actions which are not exactly or fully what they might appear, but have to be treated "as if" they were.
Question of Fact:
A legal tactic and concept in a lawsuit over an issue of fact in which the truth or falsity (or a mix of the two) must be determined by the "trier of fact" (usually the judge in a non-jury trial) in order to reach a decision in the case. A "question of fact" may also be raised in a motion for summary judgment which asks the court to determine whether there are any questions of fact to be tried, allowing the judge to rule on the case (usually to dismiss the complaint) at that point without a trial.
Question of Law:
An issue arising in a lawsuit relating to the determination of what the law is; how it is applied to the facts in the case’ and other purely legal points in contention. All questions of law arising before, during or after a trial are determined solely by the judge.
Quid Pro Quo:
A Latin term meaning "something for something", to identify what each party to an agreement expects from the other; sometimes called mutual consideration.