Interrogatory

What interrogatory means

In short, interrogatory 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 interrogatory comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Interrogatories (Fed. R. Civ. P. 33): written questions one party serves on another party, answered in writing under oath.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if interrogatory 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 interrogatory 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

• Discovery: the pretrial process in which parties obtain information and evidence from each other and from nonparties.
• Interlocutory: describes an order made during a case that is not a final judgment.
• Interpleader: a procedure for resolving competing claims to the same money or property in one case.
• Intervention: a procedure that lets a nonparty become a party to an existing lawsuit.
• Irreparable harm: harm that cannot be adequately remedied by money damages after the fact.

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.