Intervention

What intervention means

Put simply, intervention is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.

Where intervention comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Motion to Intervene (Fed. R. Civ. P. 24): a request by a nonparty to join an existing lawsuit.

How to research the term

First, read the term where it actually appears. A rule, statute or court decision may define it for its own purposes. Next, check whether your court has a local rule that uses intervention in a special way. Then look at recent decisions from courts in your jurisdiction. They show how judges apply the term today. Also, remember that state law can differ from federal law. For that reason, use our state procedures guide to find your state’s rules. Finally, confirm every source is current before you rely on it.

You can read the official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Interpleader: a procedure for resolving competing claims to the same money or property in one case.
• Interrogatory: a written question served on another party that must be answered in writing under oath.
• Irreparable harm: harm that cannot be adequately remedied by money damages after the fact.
• Joinder: combining parties or claims in a single lawsuit.

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.