Legal Definitions - Request to admit

A Request to admit (also known as a Request for Admission) is a formal written document used during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. One party sends this request to another party, asking them to confirm or deny the truth of specific statements or the genuineness of certain documents.

The primary purpose of a Request to admit is to establish undisputed facts before a trial begins. By getting the opposing party to admit to certain facts or the authenticity of documents, the requesting party can narrow down the issues that need to be proven in court, thereby saving time, effort, and resources. If a party admits a statement or document, it is considered legally established for the purposes of that lawsuit and does not need further proof.

Here are some examples illustrating how a Request to admit might be used:

• Car Accident Lawsuit: Imagine a lawsuit stemming from a car collision. The driver who was hit (the plaintiff) might send a Request to admit to the other driver (the defendant) asking them to confirm specific details. For instance, the plaintiff could ask the defendant to admit:

  • "You were driving a red sedan on Elm Street on the afternoon of July 15, 2023."
  • "The traffic light at the intersection of Elm Street and Oak Avenue was red for traffic on Elm Street at approximately 2:30 PM on July 15, 2023."

  How it illustrates the term: If the defendant admits these facts, the plaintiff no longer needs to present witnesses or other evidence at trial to prove what kind of car the defendant was driving or the color of the traffic light. This streamlines the trial, allowing both parties to focus on the central issue of who was at fault for the accident.

• Breach of Contract Dispute: Consider a business (the plaintiff) suing a supplier (the defendant) for failing to deliver goods as promised in a contract. The plaintiff might send a Request to admit to the defendant asking them to confirm:

  • "The attached document, labeled 'Exhibit A,' is a true and accurate copy of the supply agreement signed by both parties on March 1, 2022."
  • "You did not deliver the 500 units of product X specified in Section 4 of the agreement by the agreed-upon delivery date of May 1, 2022."

  How it illustrates the term: By admitting the authenticity of the contract, the court doesn't need to spend time verifying its existence or terms. Admitting the non-delivery of goods means the plaintiff doesn't have to prove that the goods weren't delivered, allowing the case to proceed directly to arguments about *why* they weren't delivered and what damages resulted.

• Property Line Dispute: In a dispute between neighbors over the exact location of their shared property line, one neighbor (the plaintiff) might send a Request to admit to the other (the defendant) to establish certain facts related to surveys or existing structures:

  • "The survey report prepared by Acme Surveyors, dated October 20, 2023, accurately depicts the boundary line between your property and the plaintiff's property."
  • "You constructed the wooden fence located on the disputed area in September 2023."

  How it illustrates the term: If the defendant admits the accuracy of the survey, it establishes a common, agreed-upon factual basis for the property line, reducing the need for expert testimony on that specific point. Admitting the construction date of the fence helps establish a timeline without requiring additional proof, allowing the court to focus on whether the fence was built on the correct side of the admitted boundary.