Glossary

Overview

Precedent uses the vocabulary of Mexican legal practice, and the English interface keeps many of those terms. This glossary gives the Spanish term in italics, the English label Precedent uses where there is one, and a short explanation. The definitions are a guide, not a substitute for the law or legal doctrine.

Case files and the firm's work

Expediente (case file). The set of documents, filings and data of a matter. In Precedent it is the unit of work: every case file gathers its documents, chats, comparisons, tasks and notes.

Asunto (matter). The case or engagement the firm handles for a client. A case file documents a matter.

Carátula (cover sheet). The case file's cover with its essential data: stages, parties, documentation, deadlines, taxes, fees and, in notary offices, the instrument's details. Open it with View details.

Parte / Compareciente (party). The people involved in a matter. A law firm speaks of partes; a notary office of comparecientes, the people who appear before the notary to execute an act.

Acto jurídico (legal act). The operation being documented: a contract, a power of attorney, a sale, a will. In Precedent, Legal acts are the templates with the stages and documents each type of act requires.

Machote (form). A template document filled in with each case's data. Uploaded as Word files.

Comparativo (comparison). A review that compares several documents, or versions of one document, and lays out the differences in a table.

Minuta (minute). A written summary of a meeting, call or hearing: agreements, pending items and who is responsible. From Notes you can share a note as a minute.

Bitácora (audit log). The chronological record of actions taken in the firm inside Precedent: who did what and when. Administrators consult it.

Despacho / Notaría (law firm / notary office). The two organization types in Precedent. A despacho is a law firm; a notaría is the office of a notario público, a state-appointed legal professional who drafts and authorizes public instruments. The interface adapts modules and texts to each.

Notary office

Escritura pública (public deed). The document a notary drafts and authorizes to record a legal act (a sale, a power of attorney, the incorporation of a company). It is entered in the protocolo with a number, volume, book and folios.

Acta (notarial certificate). A notarial instrument that records facts rather than acts: for example an attestation of facts or a notification. It is also entered in the protocolo.

Instrumento (instrument). The generic name for deeds and actas: whatever the notary enters in the protocolo.

Protocolo (protocol). The set of numbered books and folios in which the notary enters, in order, the instruments they authorize. In Precedent, the Deeds module keeps track of volumes, books and folios.

Testimonio (certified copy of a deed). The certified copy of a deed the notary issues to the parties so that it has effect before third parties, for example to record it in the public registry.

Cotejo (certified copy). A notarial certification that a copy matches its original.

Fe de hechos (attestation of facts). An acta in which the notary records facts they witness at an interested party's request: the condition of a property, the delivery of a document, what happened at a meeting.

Ratificación de firma (signature ratification). A notarial certification that a person acknowledges the signature on a private document as their own.

Antecedente (prior deed). The earlier deed the current one derives from, for example the deed by which the seller acquired the property they are now selling.

Apéndice (appendix). The documents attached to an instrument as support: identification, appraisals, certificates, permits.

Avisos notariales (notarial notices). Communications the notary must file with authorities, such as the notarial archive, for the acts they authorize.

Legal sources

Jurisprudencia (binding case law). A criterion that courts are bound to follow, established by the Supreme Court, the Regional Plenary Courts or the Collegiate Circuit Courts under the law. A tesis of jurisprudencia carries a J in its reference, for example 1a./J. 47/2022.

Tesis (thesis). The legal criterion drawn from a judgment, written as a general rule and published in the Federal Judicial Weekly (Semanario Judicial de la Federación). It can be jurisprudencia or aislada.

Tesis aislada (isolated thesis). A published criterion that is not yet binding: it guides, but courts may depart from it. Its reference has no J, for example 1a. CXXI/2019. Before relying on a thesis, check in the official source whether it is isolated or binding, and whether it is still in force.

Registro digital (digital registry number). The unique number by which the Federal Judicial Weekly identifies each thesis. It is the safest way to locate and cite one.

Doctrina (doctrine). Works by legal scholars: books, articles, commentary. It helps to understand and interpret, but it is not binding.

Legislación (legislation). The laws, codes and regulations in force. When citing an article, verify the text in the official publication.

Precedente (precedent). An earlier court decision that serves as a reference for similar cases. It gives the platform its name.

Court bulletin and deadlines

Boletín judicial (court bulletin). The courts' official daily publication listing the rulings issued in each case file. In most matters, publication in the bulletin is the notification.

Lista de acuerdos (ruling list). The list of rulings each court publishes every day within the court bulletin.

Acuerdo (ruling). The judge's decision within a case file: admitting, requiring, setting a date, deciding a procedural step. In Precedent, bulletin rulings are linked to the case file.

Notificación personal (personal notice). A notification served directly on the party or their representative, not through the bulletin. When a decision must be served personally, the term does not start from its publication in the bulletin.

Término / Plazo (term / deadline). The time a party has to do something (answer, appeal, produce a document). It is usually counted in business days from the day after notification. Precedent records the deadline and its origin; you confirm the calculation.

Tax and administrative

SAT. Servicio de Administración Tributaria, the federal tax authority.

RFC. Registro Federal de Contribuyentes, the tax identification code of individuals and companies.

CURP. Clave Única de Registro de Población, the unique identifier of every person in Mexico.

CFDI. Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet, the electronic invoice. Precedent issues CFDI from each case file's invoicing.

PAC. Proveedor Autorizado de Certificación, a company authorized by the SAT to stamp invoices.

Timbrar (stamp). To send an invoice to the PAC so that it is certified and registered with the SAT. Once stamped, an invoice can no longer be edited; it is cancelled instead.

Complemento de pago (payment complement). The receipt issued when payment is received for an invoice issued on credit (in instalments or deferred).

e.firma. The advanced electronic signature issued by the SAT, formerly called FIEL. It signs filings before authorities. It is not the same as the CSD.

CSD. Certificado de Sello Digital, the certificate the SAT issues for signing invoices. It is used only for invoicing.

Lista 69-B (69-B list). The list the SAT publishes of taxpayers it considers to have issued invoices for non-existent operations. Appearing on it has consequences for whoever issues and whoever receives those invoices. Precedent checks your clients against this and other lists under Blacklists.

DOF. Diario Oficial de la Federación, the federal official gazette, where laws, regulations, rulings and official notices are published. The Monitoring module alerts you to DOF publications according to your firm's watch items.

ISR. Impuesto Sobre la Renta, income tax. In notary offices, Precedent calculates the ISR on property sales.