Civil Procedure Declaratory Judgment Law & Legal Definition

A declaratory judgment is a judgment of a court which determines the rights of parties without ordering anything be done or awarding damages. By seeking a declaratory judgment, the party making the request is seeking for an official declaration of the status of a matter in controversy. For example,  a party to a contract may seek the legal interpretation of a contract to determine the parties' rights, or an insured may seek a determination of insurance coverage under a policy.