out of court
RESOLUTION BETWEEN DISPUTING PARTIES ABOUT A LEGAL CASE
Out-of-court settlement; Out of court settlement; Settle out of court; Settle out-of-court; Settling out of court; Court settlement; Legal settlement; Settlement agreement; Settle (law); Settling (law); Settlement out of court; Confidential settlement; Settlement (law); Out of court; Financial settlement; Settlement discussions; Settled out of court; Global settlement; Settlement (legal); Collective settlement (litigation)
adj. referring to actions, including negotiations between parties and/or their attorneys, without any direct involvement of a judge or the judicial system. Most commonly it refers to an "out-of-court settlement" in which the parties work out a settlement agreement, which they may present to the court for inclusion in a judgment approving the agreement so that the parties can request a court to enforce the settlement in case one of the parties reneges and fails to honor the terms of the settlement. Quite often a judgment approving an out-of-court settlement is held in abeyance and replaced by a dismissal if the terms are fulfilled. Some out-of-court settlements are kept confidential and the lawsuit is dismissed.
See also: settlement