Legal Definitions - Requests for admission

In a civil lawsuit, a Request for Admission is a formal written request from one party to another, asking them to either confirm or deny the truth of specific statements or the authenticity of certain documents. The party receiving the request must respond under oath.

The primary purpose of a Request for Admission is to streamline the legal process by identifying and settling undisputed facts or documents before a trial begins. If a statement is admitted, it is considered conclusively proven for the duration of that particular lawsuit, meaning neither party needs to present evidence or argue about it in court. This helps to narrow down the issues that actually need to be debated at trial, saving time and resources for everyone involved.

• Establishing Undisputed Facts in a Car Accident Case: Imagine a lawsuit stemming from a car accident. The plaintiff (the injured party) might send a Request for Admission to the defendant (the driver at fault) asking them to admit, "The accident occurred at the intersection of Maple Street and Oak Avenue on July 15, 2023, at approximately 4:30 PM."

  How this illustrates the term: If the defendant admits this statement, then the date, time, and location of the accident are no longer disputed issues. Both parties can proceed with the lawsuit focusing on other matters, such as who was at fault or the extent of the damages, without needing to present witnesses or evidence to prove these basic facts during the trial.

• Authenticating a Contract in a Business Dispute: In a lawsuit concerning a breach of contract, one party might have a copy of the signed agreement. To avoid the need for a witness to testify about the contract's legitimacy, they could send a Request for Admission asking the other party to admit, "The document attached as Exhibit A is a true and accurate copy of the contract signed by both parties on January 10, 2022."

  How this illustrates the term: If the other party admits this, the contract's authenticity is established. The court will accept it as a genuine document, and neither side will need to spend time or resources proving that the contract is real during the trial.

• Confirming Ownership History in a Property Dispute: Suppose two neighbors are in a dispute over a property line. One neighbor might send a Request for Admission to the other, asking them to admit, "You purchased the property located at 456 Elm Street from Sarah Jenkins on March 1, 2005, as recorded in County Deed Book 789, Page 123."

  How this illustrates the term: If the neighbor admits this, it confirms a specific detail in the chain of ownership without requiring the requesting party to formally introduce the deed and related records as evidence at trial. This helps to build a factual foundation for the case by confirming elements that are not genuinely contested.