The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SQUATTED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
Q
U
A
T
T
E
D
More clues leading to the result SQUATTED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Settled without recourse to law" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case settled without recourse to law = squatted.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SQUATTED mean?
SQUATTED verb- To bend deeply at the knees while resting on one's feet.
- (exercise) To perform one or more callisthenic exercises by moving the body and bending at least one knee.
- To occupy or reside in a place without the permission of the owner.
- To sit close to the ground; to cower; to stoop, or lie close, to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.
- To bruise or flatten by a fall; to squash.