Note of Issue (What It Is And How It Works: Legal Definition)

What is a Note of Issue?

Why do you need to file a notice of issue in court?

What are the essential elements you should know!

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What Is A Note of Issue

A “note of issue” refers to a court procedural document where a request is made to the court clerk to have the case booked for trial.

In other words, the notice is a document, form, or paper used to have the courts enter a case in the trial calendar for hearing on merits.

In practice, it’s the plaintiff that will file the notice in the record of the court although any party to the lawsuit can have it filed once the issues are joined.

The notice will provide the court with essential information it needs to know to properly book the case for hearing, such as:

• What is the court number
• The name of the litigants
• Are they asking for a jury trial or not
• What is the amount claimed or remedies sought 
• Who are the attorneys to the parties and their contact information
• What is the nature of the proceedings

For instance, in the state of New York, the ‘notice of issue’ must be submitted with a Certificate of Readiness in accordance with the NY rules (22 NYCRR § 202.21).

The note of issue, generally accompanied by a Certificate of Readiness, lets the court know that the parties have performed all the required discoveries, have joined issues, and are now ready to proceed to trial.

Note of Issue Definition

According to Thomson Reuters Practical Law, a Note of Issue is defined as follows:

According to the New York’s Civil Practice Law and Rules, a party can place a case on the court calendar by issuing a Notice of Issue:

Note of Issue Form

A note of issue form is a document that must be completed and filed with the court in order to have a matter entered into the court calendar for trial.

For example, the New York Notice of Issue form contains the following:

• Calendar number (if any)
• Index number
• Court name
• County 
• If trial by jury is demanded and all issues or specific issues
• If trial without jury is demanded 
• Filing party’s name 
• Date summons served
• Date service completed 
• Date issue joined 
• Nature of the action or proceeding 
• Amount demanded or other relief demanded 
• Special preferences claimed
• Insurance carriers if known 
• Attorney for plaintiff or Plaintiff Pro Se (and contact information)
• Attorney for the defendant or Defendant Pro Se (and contact information)

You can find a sample note of issue to see its layout and content presentation.

As an additional guide, you can refer to the Note of Issue Form 26 providing you with a checklist of what needs to be included in the notice.

What Happens After Note of Issue is Filed

Once the note of issue is filed, the court will then need to process the request.

The matter may sit on the trial calendar for a few months before the parties (or their attorneys) are called to a pre-trial conference.

At the pre-trial conference, the assigned judge will speak with the attorneys and see if the parties are having negotiation discussions or if there’s any chance the matter may get resolved.

If the parties declare that there’s a chance for a settlement, the court may reschedule the conference date allowing the parties to pursue their negotiations.

If the parties are not in negotiations and wish to proceed to trial, the court proceeding will then take its course and proceed to the hearing on merits.

Failure To File Note of Issue

Once the issues are joined, it’s important that the note of issue be filed.

According to CVPR 3216, a party must not unreasonably neglect to delay the prosecution of an action or fail to serve and file a note of issue.

In the case of a failure to serve and file a note of issue, the court can:

In such cases, the neglecting party must show a justifiable excuse for the delay and show that it is justified for the matter to proceed to trial.

Vacate Note of Issue

According to the rules in New York, the court can vacate a note of issue if it appears or it is demonstrated that a material fact presented in the note or certificate was incorrect.

A party served with a note of issue and certificate of readiness who does not agree with it may move to have the note vacated.

The movant must provide an affidavit explaining and demonstrating why the case is not ready to proceed to trail and how a material fact in the certificate of readiness is incorrect.

The movant can also demonstrate that the service of the note of issue and certificate does not respect the requirements of the law.

The court is also given the power, “on its own motion” to vacate a note of issue if it deems the matter not ready for trial.

Notice of Issue Takeaways 

So what is the legal definition of Note of Issue?

What does it contain?

How does it work?

Let’s look at a summary of our findings.

What Does Note of Issue Mean

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