Courts and Procedure

Learn how affirmative defenses let a defendant raise new matter that can defeat or limit a claim.

An amended complaint is a revised complaint that changes, adds, or corrects allegations, claims, parties, or requested relief.

Understand an answer as the pleading where a defendant responds to a civil complaint.

A case caption is the heading on a court document that identifies the court, parties, case number, and filing.

A case management order sets deadlines, procedures, and expectations for moving a lawsuit toward resolution.

A civil cover sheet is an administrative court form that summarizes basic case information when a civil lawsuit is filed.

Learn how the clerk of court manages filings, records, dockets, and administrative case functions.

Understand a continuance as a court-approved delay of a hearing, deadline, or trial date.

Learn how a counterclaim lets a defendant assert its own claim in the same civil case.

Learn what court orders do and how they differ from motions, judgments, and settlements.

Understand crossclaims as claims between co-parties in the same lawsuit.

A declaration under penalty of perjury is a signed written statement that the signer declares to be true under legal penalty for false statements.

Understand the docket as the court record showing filings, events, deadlines, and rulings in a case.

A hearing is a formal court or agency proceeding where a judge or decision-maker considers arguments, evidence, requests, or legal issues.

Joinder is the procedural process of combining claims or parties in one lawsuit when the rules allow it.

Understand a motion as a formal request asking the court to issue an order or ruling.

A notice of appeal is the filing that tells the court and other parties that a party is seeking appellate review of a judgment or order.

A notice of hearing informs parties about a scheduled court or agency hearing, including time, place, subject, and procedural requirements.

A pretrial conference is a court meeting before trial used to address trial readiness, settlement, evidence, witnesses, and procedure.

Proof of service is a filing or certificate showing that legal papers were delivered or served in the required way.

A proposed order is a draft court order submitted for a judge to review, edit, sign, or reject.

Learn how remand sends a case back for further proceedings after review.

A request for production is a discovery request asking another party to produce documents, electronically stored information, or tangible items.

A scheduling order is a court order that sets litigation deadlines for discovery, motions, disclosures, conferences, or trial preparation.

A status conference is a court meeting used to review case progress, deadlines, scheduling, settlement, or procedural issues.

A subpoena duces tecum requires a person or organization to produce documents, records, or other tangible evidence.

A third-party complaint is a pleading used by a defendant to bring another party into a lawsuit for related liability.

An appeal asks a higher court to review a lower court decision for legal error.

A bench trial is a trial in which the judge, not a jury, decides the factual and legal issues.

A complaint is the initial pleading that starts a civil lawsuit and states the plaintiff's claims and requested relief.

Core litigation and court-process terms that explain who starts a case, how parties receive notice, how facts are gathered, and how courts resolve or review disputes.

A default judgment is a judgment entered because a party failed to respond, appear, or defend as required.

A defendant is the party sued or accused against whom a civil claim or criminal charge is brought.

A deposition is sworn out-of-court testimony taken before trial as part of discovery.

Discovery is the pretrial process in which parties exchange information, documents, and testimony relevant to the case.

An injunction is a court order requiring a party to do something or stop doing something.

A judgment is the court's final decision resolving the parties' rights and obligations in a case or in a distinct stage of it.

A jury trial is a trial in which jurors decide factual issues after hearing the evidence and the court's legal instructions.

Mediation is a structured negotiation process in which a neutral third party helps disputing sides try to reach agreement.

A motion to dismiss asks the court to end some or all of a case at an early stage because the claim is legally deficient or the court lacks authority.

A plaintiff is the party who starts a civil case by bringing a claim and asking the court for relief.

Service of process is the legally valid delivery of the summons and complaint to the defendant.

A settlement is an agreement that resolves a legal dispute without requiring the court to decide every issue at trial.

Standing is the requirement that a party have a sufficient personal stake in a dispute to ask the court for relief.

A statute of limitations is the legal time limit for bringing a claim or prosecution.

A subpoena is a legal command requiring a person to testify, produce documents, or both.

Summary judgment asks the court to decide a case without a full trial because there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the law favors one side.

A summons is the formal notice telling the defendant that a lawsuit has been filed and that a response is required.

Venue is the proper or most appropriate geographic location for a legal case to be heard.

A verdict is the formal decision reached by a jury, or by a judge in some contexts, on the issues submitted for decision.