Declaratory judgment

A judgment by the court which declares the rights of the parties, or expresses the opinion on a question of law, without ordering anything to be done.  For example, where an insurance company has denied that the policy covered a type of claim, the court will enter a declaratory judgment stating whether or not the claim is covered. If the judge determines it is covered, there will have to be further action to determine what the amount of payment on the claim should be.