At Lynn & Brown we love Christmas, and this year is no exception. If you haven’t already seen it, you really need to have a look at our 2025 Christmas video (here’s the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Rsi2dx1qo).
Although we ended up going with the traditional 12 days of Christmas for our video, I wanted to share with you the alternate 12 days of Christmas that one of our brilliant lawyers , Stephan, came up with, which comes with a legal twist.
So humm away for the below legal 12 days of Christmas and then see the explainer below!
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve default judgments
Eleven voir dire hearings
Ten parental orders
Nine affidavits
Eight juries deliberating
Seven accused acquitted
Six witness summons
Five in-jun-ctions
Four stat decs
Three deeds of trust
Two codicils
And costs to be taxed if not agreed.
Explainer
Default Judgment – judgment given when one party (usually the defendant or respondent) fails to appear in Court or respond to the proceedings that have been commenced. Why did the default judgment break up with its court date?
Because it realized it was just in a “one-sided” relationship!
Voir Dire Hearing – a legal term with a French origin and literally translates as “to speak the truth”, but in “legalese” it is the process of questioning potential jurors during the jury selection process.
Parental Orders – a Court order relating to the care and custody of a child.
Affidavits – a written statement of (supposedly) facts made under oath or affirmation before a Justice of the Peace or a Lawyer and used in Court proceedings to introduce evidence.
When a lawyer writes an affidavit, is it considered fiction until proven otherwise?
Juries Deliberating – just as you imagine – juries who are considering whether to give a verdict of guilty or not guilty.
Accused Acquitted – the “accused” is a person who has been charged with a criminal offence, and to be acquitted is to be legally cleared – found not guilty – of the charge.
Witness Summons – is a Court order requiring someone to appear in Court to give oral evidence or produce documents.
Injunction – a Court order for someone to do something, or (more commonly) to stop doing something.
I asked my lawyer if I could get an injunction against my aging process. He said he couldn’t stop the clock, but he could definitely bill me for a temporary stay!!
Stat Dec (Statutory Declaration) – a formal written statement as to the truth of facts made under oath or affirmation before a Justice of the Peace or other authorised witness, where no court proceedings are involved.
Deed of Trust – A Deed of Trust is a legal document used to establish a Trust which is a legal entity that can hold a legal interest in an asset whilst the beneficial interest can vest in a different person.
Codicil – a written change to a part of a Will.
An old man decides to change his will every time a family member annoys him. His lawyer eventually tells him, “Sir, at this rate, your will isn’t a legal document anymore—it’s a diary with a codicil for every mood swing!”.
Costs to be Taxed if not Agreed – usually in civil proceedings in a Court the party that “wins” the matter is able to have the other party pay for at least a portion of their legal fees. Often times the parties will reach an agreement as to how much should be paid, but if not, a Judicial Officer will conduct a process known as “taxation of costs” to determine the amount that should be paid.
Twelve Days of Christmas – the 12 days between Christmas Day and the Epiphany (6 January). The Epiphany is the celebration of the arrival of the 3 wise men.
True Love – something that even divorce/family lawyers can believe in at Christmas time!!
We wish you and your loved ones a happy, safe and joyful festive season.
About the Author: This article is co-authored by Jacqueline Brown & Stephan van Heerden
