Dockets, filings, and court records
Ex Parte
Ex parte means a request made to the judge by one side without the other side present or notified.
Courts dislike it, and allow it only where notice would defeat the purpose or where a rule expressly permits it. Classic examples are an application for a temporary restraining order before assets can be moved, a search warrant application, and a request to file something under seal.
Ex parte relief is normally short-lived. The court sets an immediate hearing where the absent party can be heard, and the order dissolves if the moving party does not follow through.
Ex parte contact outside a filing is different and generally forbidden. A lawyer cannot call the judge to discuss a pending case without the other side, and doing so risks disqualification, which is why substantive communications go on the docket.
How it appears on a docket
EX PARTE MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order filed by Plaintiff. Hearing set for 6/12/2025 at 9:30 AM.
Related terms
- Temporary Restraining Order — A temporary restraining order, or TRO, is a short emergency order freezing the situation until the court can hold a real hearing.
- Sealed Document — A sealed document is a filing the court has ordered kept out of public view, so it appears on the docket but cannot be opened by the public.
More on dockets, filings, and court records
See this term in a real case
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