Pleadings and Motions
Discovery Motions
Rule 26(c) permits the court to issue an order protecting a party or person, including forbidding the discovery, specifying terms, limiting scope, or sealing material. Good cause must be shown.
Meet and confer certification is required.
Alternative Names:
Protective Order Motion, Rule 26(c) Motion
Why it Matters?
Moving proactively rather than simply objecting is the stronger posture where a discovery request is genuinely improper, since objecting and waiting places the party in the position of resisting a motion to compel rather than seeking affirmative relief. The good cause showing requires specific facts, and courts deny motions supported only by conclusory assertions of burden or embarrassment.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
When should a protective order be sought proactively?
What does good cause require?
