Minute Order Law and Legal Definition
A Minute Order is a legal document which is recorded in the minutes of a court session rather than in formal court order format. A minute order is often the court's answer to a party's request.
A minute order comes about when a trial judge sits officially, with or without a court reporter, and a clerk keeps minutes of the court session. In those sessions the only record of an oral order made by the judge may be in the minutes. This order is referred to as a minute order or minute entry.
The format of these orders varies by jurisdiction. Generally they include the following:
- Name of the Court
- Case Number
- The Presiding Officer's name
- Names of the Parties
- Date
- Court clerk's name
- Nature of the proceedings
- Rulings made by the court.
The length of a minute order can be a single page or it can be several pages long.
