legal charge
noun
LAW ukus [ C ] FINANCE, PROPERTY
the right that an organization that lends money has to take someone's property if that person does not pay back the money they borrowed to buy the property:
legal charge on sth A mortgage is a loan secured by a legal charge on the home.
[ C ] FINANCE
money that is paid to lawyers, courts of law, etc. for their work:
Legal charges for the 16-month court battle are expected to total approximately £170m.
[ usually plural ]
a legal statement that someone has done something illegal:
Directors of the bank now face a variety of legal charges.