Court Order, Discusses When Court

¶ … court order, discusses when court orders are used and what are they used for?

What is a Court Order?

"court order" is a decision issued by a court or an official proclamation by a judge (or a panel of judges) that typically demands the performance of or refrains from an action. It may also define the legal relationships between the parties before the court and require or authorize the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case. The term is usually different from and does not describe the final decision in a case, which is usually termed "judgment," "ruling," or "holding." Compliance with a court order is obligatory, i.e., it is legally binding on the parties, and failure to comply with a court order could result in contempt of court leading to imprisonment and/or fines.

Examples of a "court order" range from a simple command such as ordering a reluctant witness to answer a legitimate question or setting a date for a trial to a complicated and reasoned decision made by a court after a proper hearing, directing a party either to do or to refrain from an act.

Most orders are written, and are signed by the judge. Some orders, however, are spoken orally by the judge in open court, and are only reduced to writing in the transcript of the proceedings. ("Court Order-Legal Definition"; "Court Order")

When is a Court Order Used?

Court orders are typically issued by a judge at the beginning of (or during the course of a trial) whenever he or she feels that the performance of an action (or its prevention) is necessary for fair proceedings of a case or for protecting a party from possible harm before the judgment of a case. Such orders or injunctions are often temporary, although permanent injunctions / court orders are sometimes also issued at the end of a trial. A temporary order (called the Temporary Restraining Order-TRO) is usually issued after the aggrieved party appears before a judge and before a second hearing when the other side of the story can be examined. At this time the court may decide to vacate the TRO or to convert it into a preliminary injunction. (Ibid.)

What is a Court Order Used for?

A court order may be used for:

Restraining a party from changing the status quo until the decision of the court;