Appearance
The act of taking part in a lawsuit. Appearance refers not only to physical presence in court when required, but also to procedural compliance (e.g., filing an answer, participating in discovery). The term can refer to parties in the case, and interested persons - as well as any lawyers representing the parties or interested persons.
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
When a lawyer comes to court and responds when a client's case has been called, that lawyer has appeared on behalf of the client. When an attorney makes a "general appearance," the lawyer will represent the client in all aspects of the case. An attorney may instead make a "special appearance" when the lawyer is appearing only for the purpose of what is before the court that day, as long as the judge is told of the limited nature of the appearance.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:11 pm
