Boilerplate objections assert relevance, burden, vagueness, and privilege generically across all requests without connecting the ground to the particular request. Courts routinely hold them insufficient to preserve anything.
General objections incorporated by reference are the common form.
Alternative Names:
General Objection, Form Objection (Discovery)
Why it Matters?
Courts have grown notably less tolerant, with numerous decisions holding boilerplate objections waive the underlying grounds entirely and some awarding fees for serving them. The practice persists because it is fast, but the risk now exceeds the time saved. Writing objections that explain the specific burden or the specific irrelevance takes longer and is what actually preserves the position.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Do boilerplate objections preserve the grounds?
Why does the practice persist?
