Meanings
nounHildebrand rules pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlylawThe unofficial acceptance of the use of one's spouse's private documents in court during a divorce.
Previously, a spouse who came across information showing their partner was hiding money could copy it and put it before the court – a protection called the Hildebrand rules that was intended to help the financially impoverished.
2010 July 30, Natalie Hanman, “Covertly found assets no longer valid in divorce”, in The Guardian
Origin
After the 1992 case Hildebrand v. Hildebrand.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Hildebrand rules. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hildebrand%20rules
MLA
“Hildebrand rules.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hildebrand%20rules. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hildebrand rules,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hildebrand%20rules.
Source: Hildebrand rules on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.