This form for use in litigation against an insurance company for bad faith breach of contract. Adapt this model form to fit your needs and specific law. Not recommended for use by non-attorney.
This form for use in litigation against an insurance company for bad faith breach of contract. Adapt this model form to fit your needs and specific law. Not recommended for use by non-attorney.
For an actual controversy to be found, the plaintiff cannot be merely seeking advice from the court, but instead must show that the controversy between parties is substantial, immediate, and real and that the parties have adverse legal interests.
A declaratory judgment is a ruling of the court to clarify something (usually a contract provision) that is in dispute. A summary judgment is a ruling that a case or portion of a case must be dismissed because there are no triable issues of material fact in dispute.
A declaratory judgment is typically requested when a party is threatened with a lawsuit but the lawsuit has not yet been filed; or when a party or parties believe that their rights under law and/or contract might conflict; or as part of a counterclaim to prevent further lawsuits from the same plaintiff (for example, ...
Chapter 1 - Article 26. § 1-253. Courts of record permitted to enter declaratory judgments of rights, status and other legal relations. Courts of record within their respective jurisdictions shall have power to declare rights, status, and other legal relations, whether or not further relief is or could be claimed.
§ 2201, which allows federal courts to issue declaratory judgments in the case of “actual controversy.” This statutory requirement in turn stems from the fact that Article III of the U.S. Constitution only provides for the judiciary to adjudicate “cases” and “controversies.” This requirement prevents the judiciary from ...
N. a true legal dispute which leads to a genuine lawsuit rather than merely a "cooked up" legal action filed to get a court to give the equivalent of an advisory opinion.
The declaratory judgment is generally considered a statutory remedy and not an equitable remedy in the United States, and is thus not subject to equitable requirements, though there are analogies that can be found in the remedies granted by courts of equity.
The benefit of a declaratory judgment is that it prevents lawsuits that are likely to be unsuccessful, which saves the courts, and ultimately taxpayers, resources and time. A policyholder that receives an unfavorable declaratory judgment is unlikely to file a lawsuit, as the suit is much more likely to be dismissed.
To establish federal jurisdiction in a declaratory judgment action, two conditions must be satisfied. First, is the constitutional inquiry - the case must be a 'case or controversy' pursuant to Article III of the US Constitution. Second is the prudential inquiry – declaratory relief must be appropriate.
A plaintiff seeking declaratory relief must show that there is an actual controversy even though declaratory relief will not order enforceable action against the defendant. An actual controversy means there is a connection between the challenged conduct and injury, and redressability that the court could order.