Uphold - The appellate court agrees with the lower court decision and allows it to stand. See affirmed.⏎
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.⏎
Undue hardship - The most widely used test for evaluating undue hardship in the dischargeability of a student loan includes three conditions: (1) the debtor cannot maintain – based on current income and expenses – a minimal standard of living if forced to repay the loans; (2) there are indications that the state of affairs is likely to persist for a significant portion of the repayment period; and (3) the debtor made good faith efforts to repay the loans.⏎
Service of process - The delivery of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.⏎
Statement of intention - A declaration made by a chapter 7 debtor concerning plans for dealing with consumer debts that are secured by property of the estate.⏎