Daily AncestorPlaintiff
A plaintiff is the person who brings a lawsuit; in old court records the plaintiff is named first, as in "Hart vs. Bell."
The plaintiff complains to the court and asks for a remedy, such as payment of a debt or damages, and carries the burden of proving the claim. The person sued is the defendant.
Court books abbreviate the word plff. or pltf. Lawsuits between relatives, especially over estates and land, can name every heir as a plaintiff or defendant.
As seen in a recordCourt minutes, 1800s
Wm. Bell, plff., vs. Saml. Ross, deft. In debt. Judgment for the plff.
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Daily Ancestor. "Plaintiff." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/plaintiff. Last checked 2026-10-12.