Setoff

{
  "id": "MLC-T-LAW-004504",
  "term": "Setoff",
  "field": "Law",
  "definition": "A defendant's independent claim against the plaintiff, asserted in the same lawsuit to cancel or reduce the plaintiff's recovery. Because it rests on a separate cause of action, a setoff larger than the plaintiff's claim can in many jurisdictions produce a judgment for the defendant on the excess. Unlike recoupment, it need not arise from the same transaction or occurrence as the plaintiff's claim.",
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/law/setoff/"
}