Resolution

What resolution means

Put simply, resolution 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 resolution comes up

The term is used across many kinds of cases. For example, you may see it in pleadings, motions and court orders. To see it in context, browse the motions and procedures library or the Learn the Law topics.

How to research the term

To research resolution, begin with the rule, statute or contract where the word is used. Each one can give it a slightly different meaning. Then compare that text with how courts in your area have applied it. Also check the local rules of your court, since they can add requirements. If your case is in state court, the state rules control. So start with our state procedures guide to find them. In the end, always confirm that the source you rely on is current.

You can read the current federal court rules online for free.

Related legal terms

• Res: latin for "thing." The property or subject matter that is the object of a legal proceeding or arrangement. For example, a court has in rem jurisdiction over a res located within its territory, and in trust law the trust res is the property held in the trust (also called the corpus).
• Res judicata: claim preclusion: a final judgment on the merits generally bars the same parties from relitigating the same claim.
• Rescission: undoing a contract and restoring the parties to their positions before it was made.
• Resident: a person who lives in a place.

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.