Good faith

What good faith means

In short, good faith 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 good faith comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Motion to Compel Discovery (Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)): a request that the court order a party to make disclosures or respond to discovery.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if good faith 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 good faith 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

• Meet and confer: a required good-faith attempt by the parties to resolve a dispute before asking the court to decide it.
• Garnishment: a process for collecting a judgment from money a third party owes the debtor, such as wages. Procedures are set largely by state law.
• Genuine dispute: a real disagreement about a fact, supported by evidence, that a reasonable fact-finder could resolve either way.
• Gold clause: a contract term requiring payment in gold coin or in an amount of money measured by gold.

Why precise terms matter

Legal words often look like everyday words, but they can carry a precise meaning. Because of that, a small misreading can change how you understand a deadline, a duty or a right. Our glossary keeps each definition short and links it to the procedures where it matters.