Sanctions

What sanctions means

Put simply, sanctions 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 sanctions comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Motion for Sanctions under Rule 11 (Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(c)): a motion asking the court to sanction a party or attorney for a filing that violates Rule 11(b).
• Motion for Discovery Sanctions (Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(b)–(d)): a request for sanctions when a party fails to obey a discovery order or fails to attend its own deposition or respond to discovery.

How to research the term

To research sanctions, 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 official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Rescission: undoing a contract and restoring the parties to their positions before it was made.
• Right of redemption: a right, under state law, to reclaim foreclosed property by paying the amount required within a set period.
• Scheduling order: a court order setting deadlines for the main stages of a case.
• Secondary source: material that explains or analyzes the law, such as treatises and articles, but is not itself the law.

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.