A court order is a legal document or proclamation in which a court orders a person to perform a specific act, prohibits him from performing an act, sets a court date, or legally establishes something. For example, a court order may require an individual to pay a specific amount of money to another party. A court order may also prohibit a person from doing something, such as walking across another party’s property. Some court orders are used to set a date specifying when parties involved in a case are expected to appear in court. Other court orders may establish the relationship between parties in a case.

In many cases, court orders are given in writing and signed by a judge. In some places, however, a judge’s signature isn’t enough; an order has to be notarized to make it official. There are even cases in which a court order is given orally in open court. In such a case, the order may be recorded in the court's transcripts but not given to the parties in writing.

Depending on the type of case, a person may suffer penalties for failing to follow the instructions in a court order. For example, a person may lose a case by default if he fails to show up in court at the date and time specified in a court order. If a defendant fails to appear for his trial, he may be arrested and put in jail.