Barratry is a noun that refers to the act of frequently instigating lawsuits.
The Old Norse word for ‘contest’ provides the origin of several words related to the law, such as barrister and bar, as in ‘passing the bar.’ Our word of the day has been around since the Late Middle English period to describe the bahavior of those who like to sue people a little too much. Here’s an example:
Kevin’s barratry got a little excessive at times. He had so many lawsuits going on that he was on a first-name basis with members of the jury.