A motion is a request made to the court, usually in writing, but sometimes orally. Common types of motions are for summary judgment and to dismiss. These types of motions mean someone in the lawsuit is asking the judge to decide before trial that one individual or entity in the lawsuit (a plaintiff/claimant or a defendant/opponent) is 100% correct on some point. If a defendant moves to dismiss your case, that means an individual or entity you sued is asking the judge to find that there is insufficient proof of a legal case and/or there are no material issues of fact or credibility for a jury to decide. Therefore, the defendant is asking to terminate your case before it gets to that stage. Another common type of motion is for discovery and may be made when one individual or entity is seeking disclosure of some document, photograph, video, or other thing from an adversary. There are many other types of motions that may be made, such as a request for an extension or adjournment. The attorneys involved have the opportunity to submit evidence in the proper format and legal arguments to the court to consider along with rebuttal to opposing arguments.