Legal Definitions - bifurcation

Definition: The act of a judge dividing issues before a trial so that one issue can be ruled upon before hearing evidence on the other issue.

For example, in a divorce case, a judge may bifurcate the issue of property division from the issue of child custody. This means that the judge will first make a ruling on how the property will be divided before hearing any evidence or making a decision on who will have custody of the children.

Another example could be in a personal injury case where the judge bifurcates the issue of liability from the issue of damages. This means that the judge will first determine who is at fault for the injury before hearing any evidence on the amount of damages that should be awarded.