Amendment

What amendment means

In short, amendment is a term you will meet in court papers, rules and legal research. The definition above gives its usual meaning in American civil practice. However, the exact meaning can depend on the rule, statute or court decision that uses it. So it helps to read the term in context.

Where amendment comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Motion for Leave to Amend a Pleading (Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)): a request for permission to change a pleading when amendment is no longer allowed as a matter of course.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if amendment appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read amendment in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

You can read the official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Leave of court: the court's permission to take a step that the rules do not allow as of right.
• Affirmative defense: a defense that defeats or reduces a claim even if the plaintiff's allegations are true, such as the statute of limitations.
• Allonge: a paper affixed to a negotiable instrument, treated as part of the instrument for indorsements.
• Answer: the defendant's pleading responding to the complaint, admitting or denying each allegation and stating defenses.
• Appeal: a request that a higher court review a lower court's decision for legal error.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.