Pleadings and Motions
Procedural Motions
Rule 12(e) permits the motion where a pleading is so vague or ambiguous that a party cannot reasonably prepare a response. The motion must point out the defects and the details desired.
It must be filed before responding.
Alternative Names:
Rule 12(e) Motion, More Definite Statement
Why it Matters?
Courts grant these rarely, since notice pleading tolerates considerable generality and discovery is the ordinary route to detail. The motion succeeds where a pleading genuinely prevents framing a response, such as one failing to identify which defendant did what. Filing it against a merely thin complaint wastes time and delays a stronger dismissal motion, since the two are not typically filed together.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
When does the motion succeed?
Why are grant rates low?
