Civil Law
Next Friend
A person who represents a minor as plaintiff in a suit, since a minor cannot file a case directly in their own name.
Where a minor needs to file a suit — for instance, to claim compensation for an injury — a competent adult, typically a parent or close relative, acts as the "next friend," conducting the litigation on the minor's behalf and in their interest.
The next friend has a duty to act genuinely in the minor's best interest throughout the case.
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