term:

Grace Period

grace period n

: a period of time beyond a scheduled date during which a required action (as payment of an obligation) may be taken without incurring the ordinarily resulting adverse consequences (as penalty or cancellation): as
a : a period of 30 days or one month during which premiums on insurance policies may be paid without penalty
b : a period of ten days during which certain security interests (as those in fixtures or purchase money security interests) must be perfected in order to have priority over conflicting security interests under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code called also days of grace

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.