The FindLaw Legal Dictionary -- free access to over 8260
definitions of legal terms. Search for a definition or browse
our legal glossaries. waiver n[Anglo-French, from waiver to
waive] : the act of intentionally or knowingly relinquishing or
abandoning a known right, claim, or privilege : the legal
instrument evidencing such an act compare estoppel, forfeiture
NOTE: Acts or statements made while forming or carrying out a
contract may constitute a waiver and prevent a party from
enforcing a contractual right (as when an insurer is barred from
disclaiming liability because of facts known to it when it
issued the insurance policy). Varying standards are applied by
courts to determine if there has been a waiver of various
constitutional rights (such as the right to counsel) in criminal
cases. Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996.
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