A
court order (or
court ruling) is an official proclamation by a judge (or panel of judges) that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal
or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the
carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case. A court
order must be signed by a judge; some jurisdiction may require it to be notarized.
The content and provisions of a court order depend on the type of
proceeding, the phase of the proceedings in which they are issued, and
the procedural and evidentiary rules that govern the proceedings.
An order can be as simple as setting a date for trial or as complex as restructuring contractual relationships by and between many corporations in a multi-jurisdictional
dispute. It may be a final order (one that concludes the court action),
or an interim order (one during the action). 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.This is especially true in Foreclosure proceedings.
