Subordination - The act or process by which a person's rights or claims are ranked below those of others.⏎
Sua sponte - Latin, meaning "of its own will." Often refers to a court taking an action in a case without being asked to do so by either side.⏎
Statement of financial affairs - A series of questions the debtor must answer in writing concerning sources of income, transfers of property, lawsuits by creditors, etc. (There is an official form a debtor must use.)⏎
Unsecured claim - A claim or debt for which a creditor holds no special assurance of payment, such as a mortgage or lien; a debt for which credit was extended based solely upon the creditor's assessment of the debtor's future ability to pay.⏎
Settlement - Parties to a lawsuit resolve their dispute without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in at least partial satisfaction of the other party's claims, but usually do not include the admission of fault.⏎