Legal Definitions - impertinent matter

Impertinent Matter

In legal proceedings, impertinent matter refers to information included in a formal legal document, such as a complaint or a response, that is not relevant or necessary to the legal claims, defenses, or issues being presented in the case. When parties submit documents to a court, they are expected to present facts and arguments directly related to the dispute. Any information that serves no purpose in helping the court decide the legal questions at hand is considered impertinent and can potentially be removed from the document by the court.

Examples:

• Scenario: A software company is suing a former employee for breaching a non-compete agreement.
  Impertinent Matter: The company's lawsuit includes a detailed account of the employee's personal struggles with a gambling addiction from five years prior, which has no direct bearing on whether they violated the terms of their employment contract or the non-compete clause.
  Explanation: While potentially sensitive, the employee's past personal issues are irrelevant to the legal question of whether they breached a contractual agreement. This information does not help the court determine the validity of the non-compete clause or if it was violated.
• Scenario: A homeowner is suing a construction company for faulty work on their roof.
  Impertinent Matter: The construction company's defense filing includes extensive details about the homeowner's political donations and their social media posts criticizing local government policies, none of which relate to the quality of the roofing work or the terms of the construction contract.
  Explanation: The homeowner's political views or social media activity have no connection to the legal claim regarding the quality of the roof construction. This information is extraneous to the central dispute about contractual performance and damages.
• Scenario: Two neighbors are involved in a property line dispute over a small strip of land.
  Impertinent Matter: One neighbor's submission to the court includes a lengthy, anecdotal history of their family's settlement in the region during the 19th century, describing their ancestors' pioneering spirit and their personal feelings of attachment to the land, without providing any legal deeds, surveys, or historical property records relevant to the current boundary.
  Explanation: While the family history might be personally significant, it does not constitute legal evidence for establishing current property boundaries or ownership rights. The court needs factual and legal arguments regarding deeds, surveys, and adverse possession, not sentimental narratives.