§ 552 How issues arise - Kinds of issues.

Here's a plain English summary of this rule.

When two sides in a lawsuit disagree, that disagreement is called an "issue." Issues come from the written statements each side files with the court, known as pleadings. If one side claims something is true or claims the law works a certain way, and the other side disagrees, that disagreement becomes an issue the court needs to resolve.

There are two types of issues. The first is a legal issue, which is a disagreement about how the law applies to the situation. The second is a factual issue, which is a disagreement about what actually happened. Courts handle these two types differently. A judge usually decides legal issues, while factual issues often go to a jury, though a judge can decide facts too if there's no jury involved.