Legal Definitions - friendly suit

friendly suit

A friendly suit, also known as a collusive suit or action, is a lawsuit brought by two parties who are not enemies, but who agree to go to court to resolve a legal question that affects them both. The parties involved in a friendly suit are not actually in dispute with each other, but they want to clarify the legal interpretation of a contract or resolve a legal issue that affects them both.

Two companies might bring a friendly suit to court in order to clarify the legal interpretation of a contract between them. For example, if two companies have a contract that is unclear about certain terms, they might agree to bring a friendly suit to court to get a judge to interpret the contract and clarify the terms. Another example of a friendly suit might be two friends who agree to go to court to resolve a legal issue that affects them both, such as a dispute over property ownership.

These examples illustrate how a friendly suit is a legal action that is brought by two parties who are not adversaries, but who want to resolve a legal issue that affects them both. The parties involved in a friendly suit are not actually in dispute with each other, but they want to clarify the legal interpretation of a contract or resolve a legal issue that affects them both.