Legal Definitions - accrue

Accrue means to accumulate or grow over time. It can refer to:

• The accumulation of interest, income, or expenses. For example, if you have a savings account, interest will accrue over time, meaning that the amount of money in your account will gradually increase.
• When a legal claim or cause of action comes into existence. This means that a person has a complete and present reason to take legal action. For example, if someone is injured in a car accident, their legal claim against the other driver will accrue at the time of the accident.

Accrual is often important in legal contexts, such as when determining the statute of limitations for a claim. For example, in California, a claim for injury or property damage must be presented within six months of the accrual of the cause of action.

In bankruptcy cases, the court must determine whether a debtor's claim has accrued, which would make it an asset of the debtor's estate. This means that if a person is owed money at the time they file for bankruptcy, that money may be used to pay off their debts.