Court order

A court order (or order) is a formal written direction by a member of the judiciary. It directs a party to do something. It can also be an order not to do something, as in an injunction.Dictionary of Law, Second Edition, ed. Peter Hodgson Collin (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers; Middlesex: Peter Collin Publishing, Ltd., 1999), p. 61 

An order can be as simple as setting a date for trial. They can also be complex involving many details. It may be a final order (one that concludes the court action), or an interim order (one during the action).  Most orders are written, and are signed by the judge. Some orders, however, are spoken orally by the judge in open court, and are only reduced to writing in the transcript of the proceedings.

 Examples 
The following represents a small sampling of matters that are commonly dictated by the terms of a court order:
Restraining order  
Temporary protective order  
Emergency protective order 
Search warrant  
Divorce decree 
Child custody  
Child support 
Lawsuit rulings 
Criminal sentences 
Court dates 
Equitable remedy  
Stay of execution 

 References 

Category:Legal terms