Rule 5.02 Consent Judgments and Orders

When both sides in a case agree on a judgment or order, all the lawyers involved need to sign off on it before it goes to the judge. If someone doesn't have a lawyer and is representing themselves, that person needs to give their approval instead. This makes sure everyone affected by the agreement has actually reviewed and accepted it before the judge sees it.

The judge also has the power to ask the actual people involved in the case, not just their lawyers, to personally approve the judgment too. This gives the court an extra way to double check that everyone truly agrees with what's being decided, not just their attorneys.