what does it mean when an attorney ask for a motion to compel

by Shaina Bergstrom DVM 7 min read

A motion to compel is a request made to the court to force a party to a lawsuit or a person to comply with a request or to do something.Jun 12, 2020

What does it mean to file a motion to compel?

Motion to Compel – a request that the court order a party to the legal action to do something, which has previously been ordered, or which is within the bounds of normal procedure; Filing a Motion. While a motion may, in some instances, be made orally during a trial or hearing, a motion generally must be made through a set of written documents.

What happens at a motion to compel hearing?

When filing a Motion to Compel compliance with a properly issued subpoena, the party must prove to the court that a good faith effort to obtain cooperation was made. When a motion to compel is filed with the court, a hearing is scheduled.

What happens if a motion to compel is ignored?

There could be many more reasons justifying that a motion to compel hearing. To request the hearing, you must observe the motion to compel rules applicable to the court. If a motion to compel is ignored the filing of a motion to compel, there may be severe and important consequences to the failing party.

Can You appeal a motion to compel?

Appeal of Motion to Compel. Some states allow parties to appeal a trial court's decision to grant or deny a motion to compel. These are known as "interlocutory appeals," as they may be raised in the higher court before a trial even begins.

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What does motion to compel mean?

A motion to compel asks the presiding probate and family judge to order one party to provide the opposing side with evidence related to the divorce proceedings. Such evidence may include: Deposition testimony. Requests for admissions of undisputed facts.

What does compel mean legally?

Legal Definition of compel : to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure and especially by authority or law cannot compel the defendant to testify the result…

What happens after a motion to compel is filed in Florida?

Throughout the entire state of Florida a Motion to Compel is pretty much the same. After the motion is filed the person trying to enforce the disclosure schedules a short hearing and asks the judge to enforce the issue.

How long do you have to respond to a motion to compel in Florida?

(A) Time to file. Any party may file a response to a motion; Rule 27(a)(2) governs its contents. The response must be filed within 10 days after service of the motion unless the court shortens or extends the time.

Is a motion to compel a bad thing?

When that happens, a party can file a motion to compel, asking the Court to order the opposing party to produce the contested documents or information. If a motion to compel is granted and the Court orders the information produced, failing to comply with that order can lead to serious consequences.

Does compelled mean forced?

Compel means to force or drive someone to do something.

What is a motion to compel in FL?

Motion to Compel Granted, Now What? If a motion to compel discovery states to the court that the other side has completely failed to respond or object to a good faith and reasonable discovery request, generally, the court will order compliance with discovery to be made within 10 days (20 in some cases).

What happens if the defendant does not give me responses to my discovery requests?

Failing To Respond To Discovery Can Lead To A Dismissal Of Your Case With Prejudice. In the practice of law, the discovery phase can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Interrogatories, requests for documents, and depositions can make or break your case.

What can a party do if another party is failing to participate in good faith in discovery?

If a party or a party's attorney fails to participate in good faith in the development and submission of a proposed discovery plan as required by Rule 26(f), the court may, after opportunity for hearing, require such party or attorney to pay to any other party the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, caused ...

How long does a judge have to make a ruling in Florida?

Under T.R. 53.2, if a judge takes a cause tried to the court under advisement and fails to determine any issue of law or fact within ninety (90) days of the submission of all pending matters, the case may be withdrawn from the judge.

What are the grounds for a motion to dismiss in Florida?

To be legally sufficient and avoid a summary denial, a Motion to Dismiss in Florida must include the following content: (1) an allegation that the material facts of the case are undisputed, (2) a description of the undisputed material facts, (3) and a demonstration that the undisputed material facts fail to establish a ...

How many days do you have to respond to affirmative defenses in Florida?

within 20 daysIf a reply is required, the reply must be served within 20 days after service of the answer.

What is compel disclosure?

A motion to compel disclosure of an informant is when the defendant in a criminal case petitions the court to require the police to reveal the identity of a confidential informant.

What is an application to compel?

If a party fails to comply with a request for disclosure, the applicant may apply to court to compel disclosure, failing which the court may strike out the defence, dismiss the claim or grant the applicant further relief.

What is the synonyms for compel?

Some common synonyms of compel are coerce, constrain, force, and oblige. While all these words mean "to make someone or something yield," compel typically suggests overcoming of resistance or unwillingness by an irresistible force. compelled to admit my mistake.

What happens if the defendant does not give me responses to my discovery requests?

Failing To Respond To Discovery Can Lead To A Dismissal Of Your Case With Prejudice. In the practice of law, the discovery phase can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Interrogatories, requests for documents, and depositions can make or break your case.

Preference Against Motions to Compel

Courts are loathe to deal with discovery conflicts between parties. It is expected that attorneys and parties will be able to work out differences...

Answer to Motion to Compel

Within a designated amount of time, the opposing party must answer the motion to compel. The opponent may cite attorney-client privilege, undue emb...

Appeal of Motion to Compel

Some states allow parties to appeal a trial court's decision to grant or deny a motion to compel. These are known as "interlocutory appeals," as th...

When is a motion to compel sent?

Often, the motion to compel is sent during the discovery phase of a lawsuit when another party does not collaborate in disclosing evidence or providing relevant case information.

What is required in a motion to compel?

A motion to compel must provide a detailed summary and explanation of the facts.

How to request a hearing in a court?

To request the hearing, you must observe the motion to compel rules applicable to the court.

What happens when a party objects to a discovery request?

A party objects to a discovery request. A party fails to produce documents. A party fails to allow an inspection of evidence. There could be many more reasons justifying that a motion to compel hearing. To request the hearing, you must observe the motion to compel rules applicable to the court.

What happens after a hearing is over?

Once the hearing is over, the judge ultimately renders a decision. Either the judge grants the motion to compel in full, partially grants it or denies it. If it’s granted or partially granted, the judge will provide a deadline to the other party to communicate the information required by the judge.

What happens if you fail to provide requested information during the discovery phase of a legal proceeding?

The court has the power to dismiss your case if you fail to respect provide requested information during the discovery phase of the legal proceeding.

What is the right to do discovery in a lawsuit?

If you file a lawsuit, you must accept and be ready to share and communicate evidence or documents in your hands during the discovery phase of your case. The law gives you the right to do the discovery to gather the evidence and information you need to support your case . The same is true for the other party.

What is a motion to compel in a lawsuit?

Motions to compel are most common during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. Discovery is the process by which the parties request information from each other to build their cases. They demand the production of documents and send out written questions, called interrogatories, for the other party to answer and verify.

Why do you file a motion to compel?

While typically filed with respect to discovery responses in civil litigation, they may also be filed for other reasons such as to compel compliance with a prior court order. The procedures for a motion to compel vary from state to state and may even vary from county to county.

What happens if a motion to compel is granted?

If the motion is granted, the judge will sign an order requiring the non-moving party to do the thing the moving party requested.

How long does it take to get a hearing in Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has a special discovery court that allows a party to file a motion to compel and request a hearing in as little as 10 days. The other side may appear at the hearing without having filed a written response.

What is a motion practice in court?

Motion Practice in the Court System. During a court case, the parties will frequently need to ask the court for something. To do so, they need to file motions. Motions are documents filed with the court that ask the judge to sign an order giving that party something or requiring the other party to do something.

What happens when the time for oral argument expires?

Once that time has expired, the court may schedule oral argument , whereby the parties appear in court to explain their positions to the judge, or the judge may decide the motion on the papers. Some jurisdictions have special procedures ...

What are the rules for discovery?

Discovery rules require the parties to comply with discovery requests, subject to objections, within a certain time period. Parties must answer interrogatories, produce documents and attend depositions. At depositions, they must answer questions. While these are all subject to privilege, relevance and confidentiality objections, ...

What is a motion to compel?

A motion to compel is a motion filed by one party in a case that asks the judge to order the other party to do something. A motion to compel is usually filed in order to make someone provide documents that they have been previously asked to provide, but have not provided...

What happens if you are involved in a lawsuit?

If you are involved in a lawsuit, you may have been required to undertake some action, like appear in court, or to do something or provide (produce) documents or property to the other party (or sometimes to the court) in the lawsuit. If the party who is asked to do something has failed to comply with the other side's proper request within a specified period of time, the requesting party can file a motion with the...

What is a motion to compel mediation?

That request is made in a motion to compel mediation. Divorce mediation usually results in an agreement. The first step to making mediation happen if one party will not attend voluntarily is a motion to compel mediation. If the motion is granted, the judge will sign an Order Compelling Mediation or an Order to Mediate.

Why File A Motion To Compel Family Law or Divorce Mediation?

Most family courts will not allow a trial until mediation takes place.

What happens if a motion is granted?

If the motion is granted, the judge will sign an Order Compelling Mediation or an Order to Mediate. That order usually appoints a specific mediator and orders the parties to contact the mediator and mediate by a specific date.

Why do judges require mediation?

Most judges require mediation before a contested family law hearing or a trial because it is so successful. Most mediations result in a mediated settlement agreement, or “M.S.A.”. If mediation is not required by the judge, it can still be ordered. Even the few judges who do not require mediation will usually order it if requested.

What happens if the other side does not show up for a mediation?

That enables the judge to order each side to be at a mediator’s office at a particular time. If the other side does not show up, the trial may proceed as planned. The judge will probably order the side who did not show up to pay the attorney’s fees and mediator fee of the one who did.

Do you want a trial if you don't want to go to mediation?

The judge will most likely award attorney’s fees to the person who showed up to mediate. Even if the court does not require mediation, most people do not want a trial. Most cases that go to mediation get resolved there. A person might want it ordered if the other side will not go voluntarily.

Is there a negotiation in court?

There is no negotiation in court. Some of what you want the judge to consider might not be admissible in court. The judge might never know some information you consider important. There are no rules of evidence or procedure at mediation. Everything can be discussed and, in most cases, resolved at mediation.

How to write a motion in opposition?

To begin drafting your Motion in Opposition, you should open up a blank word processing document. Set the font to a legible size and style . Generally, Times New Roman or Arial 14-point font works best. Make sure the margin is at least one inch.

What is the caption in a court case?

Insert the caption. The caption contains the name of the court, the names of each party, and the case number. It may also contain the judge’s name. You can get all of this information from any document filed in your case.

What happens if one side refuses to comply with discovery?

However, if one side refuses to comply with a discovery request, then the party who made the request can file a Motion to Compel with the court. In order to oppose the motion, you should identify ...

How to compel a discovery?

1. Read the motion to compel. You should receive a copy of the other side’s motion that was filed with the court. This motion should identify the discovery you haven’t produced and explain why the other side is entitled to it. As soon as you receive this motion, read it carefully.

How to start an argument in a court case?

Argue your motion. Introduce yourself and who you represent. If you don’t think the other side properly gave the background of the dispute, then quickly clarify, providing necessary detail before beginning your argument.

Can you make factual allegations in a motion?

Obtain supporting declarations, if necessary. You can’t make factual allegations in your motion unless they are supported by evidence. For example, you might be claiming that some documents are privileged because you sent them to your lawyer. In this situation, your lawyer will have to write a declaration identifying him or herself as your attorney.

Can you mail a copy of a motion?

Generally, you can mail a copy using first class mail. Be sure to give the other side a copy of the motion sufficiently in advance of the hearing date. If there are additional parties in your lawsuit, then you can send them courtesy copies. For example, you might be one of two defendants.

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Operation

  • In any legal action, whether civil or criminal, all of the parties to the action are entitled to receive information and evidence from the other parties, though they have to ask for it specifically. This is usually done through a series of requests that the other party answer questions, and provide doc…
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Types

  • Discovery the process of requesting and obtaining information from an opposing party to a legal action takes many forms. The most commonly used include:
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Summary

  • Discovery is the process by which the parties to a legal action request and obtain information and evidence from the other parties. The Rules of Court of each jurisdiction are very specific as to how this information can be requested, and how the other party must respond including a very tight timeline. Failing to provide full responses to discovery requests, or to respond on time, is the top…
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Example

  • For example, a Motion to Compel Discovery has been filed by Marys attorney on the day after her estranged husband, Neal, was supposed to deliver his answers to interrogatories and request for production of documents. The day the discovery was due, Neals attorney called Marys attorney to say that it was taking longer than expected to get the documents together, and to ask for an ext…
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Effects

  • While failing to comply with other discovery requests may result in sanctions by the court. Failing to appear or otherwise comply with a subpoena may result in a charge of contempt of court, which may result in a hefty fine, or even jail time.
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Incidents

  • In December, 2015, a man went into a center for people with developmental disabilities, and opened fire, killing 14 people. The FBI tracked the purchase of the gun used in the shooting to Syed Farook, then surrounded his home in a standoff. Eventually, Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, attempted to flee in a black SUV. They got into a shootout with police, and both were killed.
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Background

  • The FBI, fearing the mass shooting was a terrorist act instituted by a terrorist cell, attempted to go through the Farooks iPhone to determine who he had been in contact with. Unfortunately, the authorities were unable to break into the encrypted information on the phone, so they sought the help of Apple in unlocking the information.
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Security

  • While Apple complied with a subpoena to turn over account information, and had their engineers give advice as to investigative options available to the government, the company refused to provide a code to open the encrypted information. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an ex parte Motion to Compel Apple to unlock Farooks encrypted iPhone. On February 16, 2016 hea…
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Advantages

  • The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But thats simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks
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Quotes

  • We are challenging the FBIs demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country. We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications.
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