interlocutory decree

n. a court judgment which is temporary and not intended to be final until either a) other matters come before the judge, or b) there is a specified passage of time to determine if the interlocutory decree (judgment) is "working" (becomes accepted by both parties) and should become final. Interlocutory decrees were most commonly used in divorce actions, in which the terms of the divorce were stated in an interlocutory decree, which would be in force until a final decree could be granted after a period of time (such as one year after serving the divorce petition). The theory was that this would provide for a period in which reconciliation might be possible, and would also test the efficacy of the original order which might be changed upon a motion of either party. Interlocutory decrees of divorce have been abandoned as a procedure in most states, because they seldom had the desired effect and appeared to waste the parties' time.

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

from an interlocutory decree in admiralty determining the rights and liabilities of the parties ...

Interlocutory appeals in patent cases under 28 U.S.C. (section) 1292(c)(2): are they still justified and are they implemented correctly?

Even if a taxpayer is separated under an interlocutory decree of divorce--a decree that requires a waiting period before it becomes final--he or she is considered married.

Minimize the tax consequences of divorce

An interlocutory decree is not definitive of legal separation for tax return preparation purposes.

Tax filing implications of divorce

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.