Legal Definitions - rule nisi

Definition: A court's decree that will become absolute unless the adversely affected party shows the court, within a specified time, why it should be set aside.

Example: In a divorce case, a rule nisi may be issued to grant temporary custody of children to one parent until a final custody hearing can be held. The other parent has a specified time to show the court why the rule should be set aside or modified.

Explanation: A rule nisi is a temporary court order that becomes final unless the adversely affected party can show the court why it should be changed or set aside. In the example given, the rule nisi grants temporary custody to one parent until a final custody hearing can be held. The other parent has a specified time to present evidence to the court as to why the rule should be changed or set aside. If no evidence is presented, the rule becomes final and the temporary custody arrangement remains in place until the final hearing.