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Courts and procedure

Motion

A request a party makes to the judge for a decision on an issue in the case.[1]

In more detail

A court can refer a case to mediation on a party's motion or its own.[2] In California family cases, a party asks the judge to decide an issue with a Request for Order.[3]

Varies by state

This is the federal courts' definition; state courts use the word the same way, though procedures differ by state. Find your state’s rules.

Related terms

  • Temporary ordersCourt orders that apply while a family case is pending, covering issues such as support, parenting time and use of property until the final judgment.
  • Court-ordered mediationMediation a judge sends a pending case to, on the court's own motion or at a party's request.
  • JudgmentThe court's official decision that finally resolves the dispute between the parties.
  • DocketThe court's log of a case, with brief dated entries summarizing each filing and proceeding.
  • Magistrate judgeA judicial officer of a federal district court who handles many pretrial matters and, if all parties consent, can preside over some civil cases.

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Sources

The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.

  1. Glossary of Legal Termsuscourts.govchecked ↩
  2. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 154 (Alternative dispute resolution procedures)tcss.legis.texas.govchecked ↩
  3. Request for Order (form FL-300): what these papers meanselfhelp.courts.ca.govchecked ↩

General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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Page updated

MediationList. (2026, October 28). Motion: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/motion/

APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.