Litigation legal terms
The language of lawsuits — plaintiffs, discovery, judgments, and the steps in between. Start here if you were served papers or need to understand a court filing.
What belongs in litigation
This group collects the words people most often look up when they touch lawsuits and court procedure. Each entry explains the term in everyday language, notes where the word comes from, and walks through a short example so the idea is concrete rather than abstract. Related terms are linked at the bottom of every page, so you can follow the concept from one word to the next.
Litigation is the formal process of resolving a dispute through the courts. It moves through recognizable stages: a complaint starts the case, an answer responds, discovery gathers evidence, motions narrow the issues, and a judgment ends it, subject to appeal. Each stage has its own vocabulary, and the entries below cover the words that appear in court papers.
Someone sued wants to know who the plaintiff and defendant are, what a summons means, and how a case moves from complaint to judgment. The list covers the parties, the pleadings, the discovery tools, and the remedies. It also explains the ideas that shape every case, such as jurisdiction, venue, standing, and the burden of proof.
Understanding the stages
A case begins when a plaintiff files a complaint and the defendant is served with a summons. The defendant files an answer, and the parties exchange evidence through discovery, including interrogatories, depositions, and document requests. Before trial, motions can end the case: a motion to dismiss challenges the complaint, and a motion for summary judgment argues the facts leave nothing to decide.
If the case reaches a judge or jury, the burden of proof decides close calls, and the judgment that follows can be appealed. The entries explain each step so a filing or a notice is less intimidating, and each page links to the related terms to show how the pieces connect.
Before you act
These explanations are for general understanding. Court procedures are strict and vary by jurisdiction, and deadlines are unforgiving, so confirm anything important with a licensed attorney and meet every filing deadline.
Browse the terms
The full list for this topic is below. Each entry includes a definition, an origin note, a real-world example, and links to related words, so you can compare concepts and follow the vocabulary of litigation from one term to the next.