PHRASAL VERBS USED IN LEGAL ENGLISH Worksheet

means to accept a decision, a law or an agreement and obey it. For example, ‘the parties must abide by the terms of the agreement’.
means to agree to or allow something that someone has asked for, after you have opposed it for a while. For example, ‘the company eventually acceded to repeated requests for a price reduction’.
means (1) to explain how or why something happened. For example, ‘how do you account for the fact that the goods were delivered late?’ (2) To be a particular part of something. For example, ‘computer sales account for 50% of the company’s profits’. (3) To keep a record of how the money in your care will be spent or has been spent. For example, ‘every cent in the fund has been accounted for’. (4) To consider particular facts or circumstances when you are making a decision about something. For example, ‘the costs of possible litigation were accounted for when calculating the amount of money to be set aside’.
means to make a payment to someone together with an itemised breakdown showing how the payment is calculated. For example, ‘the lawyer accounted to her client in respect of the damages received as a result of the litigation’.
means to act in the way that a particular law, rule, agreement or set of instructions says that you should. For example, ‘the parties have adhered strictly to the terms of the agreement’.
means: (1) to add up to something or result in a final total of something. For example, ‘the overall costs amounted to well over 􏱀50,000’. (2) To be equal to or the same as something. For example, ‘what they did amounted to a breach of contract’.
means to belong to something or be connected with something. For example, ‘the duties appertaining to this position’.
means: (1) to separate into different parts to make something easier to discuss, analyse or deal with. For example, ‘the figures break down as follows . . .’ (2) To fail. For example, ‘negotiations between the parties have broken down’.
means: (1) to stop speaking or to stop doing something before you have finished. For example, ‘we had to break off the meeting’. (2) To separate something from something else using force, or for something to become separated in this way. For example, ‘the handle of the cup just broke off’.
means: (1) the splitting up of a company or an organisation into smaller parts. For example, ‘the company was broken up into smaller concerns’. (2) The splitting up of a group of people. For example, ‘the conference broke up into discussion groups’.
means: (1) to request the return of something. For example, ‘the bank has decided to call in the loan’. (2) To visit a place or person for a short time. For example, ‘he called in at the office before going to court this morning’. (3) To telephone your office. For example, ‘do you mind if I use your phone? I just want to call in and tell my assistant I’m running late’.
means to continue something. For example, ‘the company carries on business as a garden furniture retailer’.
means to do something that you said you would do or that you have been asked to do. For example, ‘the lawyer carried out his client’s instructions carefully’.
means to stop using one system or thing and start using another. For example, ‘The Greeks have changed over to the euro’.
means to have something as its main or only feature. For example, ‘the strength of this firm consists in its experienced litigation department’.
means to be formed from the people or things mentioned. For example, ‘the team consists of a number of specialists in different areas.’
means to try hard to stop people finding out about a mistake, a crime or the true state of affairs. For example, ‘the company attempted to cover up its trading losses by falsifying its accounts’.