Real Party In Interest
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In law, the real party in interest is the party who possesses the substantive right being asserted and has a legal right to enforce the claim (under applicable substantive law). The "real party in interest" must also sue in his own name. In many situations, the real party in interest will be the parties themselves (i.e., plaintiff and
defendant In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case. Terminology varies from one juris ...
).


Applications

In California law, when a case goes up on writ of mandate (California's version of ''
mandamus A writ of (; ) is a judicial remedy in the English and American common law system consisting of a court order that commands a government official or entity to perform an act it is legally required to perform as part of its official duties, o ...
''), the appellant goes first in the case caption on appeal as the petitioner, and the superior court becomes the respondent. The actual opponent is listed below those names as the "real party in interest." This is how several famous California cases like '' Burnham v. Superior Court of California'' (1990) ended up with such unusual names. In Michigan law, the real-party-in-interest rule recognizes that litigation should be begun only by a party having an interest that will nsuresincere and vigorous advocacy. When a trustee is a party to a lawsuit, the real party in interest is the
beneficiary A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example, the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is the person who receives the payment of the amount of ...
of the trust. In the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, Rule 17 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure expressly provides that trustees are the real party in interest when it is necessary to sue on behalf of the estate. A beneficiary may sue under these circumstances only when the trustee refuses or neglects to bring suit. When funds belonging to a party are held on account, but not necessarily in trust, by a financial institution (e.g., a bank checking account is garnished by a third party who claims a valid unpaid debt), the bank is typically sued as nominal
defendant In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case. Terminology varies from one juris ...
. Of course, the real party in interest is the owner of the account, who has an absolute right to intervene and protect his assets.


See also

* Beneficial owner


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Real Party In Interest Civil procedure Legal terminology