Legal Definitions - in lieu of

IN LIEU OF

Instead of or in place of; in exchange or return for

• The company gave me extra vacation days in lieu of a raise.
• She donated money to charity in lieu of buying Christmas presents.
• The landlord accepted a painting in lieu of rent payment.

These examples show that "in lieu of" means to substitute one thing for another. In the first example, the company gave extra vacation days instead of a raise. In the second example, the person donated money to charity instead of buying presents. In the third example, the landlord accepted a painting instead of rent payment.