Legal Definitions - pray

The term pray, in a legal context, is an older, formal way to describe a party's specific request to a court for a particular outcome. It refers to the section, typically found at the end of a legal document like a civil complaint or petition, where the party formally asks the judge for a specific judgment, a form of relief (like an order to do or stop doing something), or monetary damages.

While still understood, modern legal practice more commonly uses terms like "requests," "seeks," or "demands" relief or damages, rather than "prays" for them.

Here are some examples illustrating how this term applies:

• Breach of Contract Lawsuit: Imagine a small business owner who ordered custom parts from a supplier, but the supplier failed to deliver them, causing the business to lose a major client. The business owner decides to sue the supplier for breach of contract.

  In their formal complaint filed with the court, the business owner would conclude with a section that "prays" for the court to award them a specific sum of money to compensate for the lost profits and other financial harm. This is a formal request for monetary damages.

• Property Boundary Dispute: Consider two neighbors who disagree about the exact location of the property line between their homes. One neighbor believes the other has encroached on their land and files a lawsuit to resolve the dispute.

  In their legal filing, the neighbor would "pray" for a declaratory judgment from the court, asking the judge to officially determine and declare the correct legal boundary between the two properties. This is a request for a specific judicial judgment.

• Environmental Protection Case: An advocacy group discovers that a local factory is discharging untreated waste into a nearby river, harming the ecosystem and local wildlife. The group files a lawsuit against the factory to stop the pollution.

  The advocacy group's complaint would "pray" for an injunction, which is a court order compelling the factory to immediately cease its polluting activities and implement proper waste treatment. This is a request for judicial relief in the form of a specific action.