Injunctive relief
Injunctive relief is a court order, often part of a settlement, that makes a company change a practice or stop doing something instead of paying money.
Also called: injunction, non-monetary relief
Injunctive relief is a court order, often part of a settlement, that makes a company change a practice or stop doing something instead of paying money.
What it means
Injunctive relief is a remedy where a court orders someone to do something or to stop doing something. It is different from money damages, which pay for harm that already happened. An injunction looks forward. It might require a company to stop charging a fee, change its disclosures, delete data or improve its security.
In class actions, injunctive relief appears in two ways. Some classes ask only for a court order. Under Rule 23(b)(2), that is allowed when the company acted, or refused to act, in a way that applies to the whole class. Other settlements pay money and also add practice changes, such as clearer billing language for a set period.
A federal injunction has to give the court's reasons, state its terms clearly and describe the required or banned acts in reasonable detail. It binds the company and the people working for it who know about the order. The court can enforce it, and some settlements put these promises in a consent decree.
What it means for you
Check whether a settlement with injunctive relief also pays you. Some deals include both cash and practice changes. Others give only the changes, and then class members get no payment. Rule 23 does not require courts to offer an opt-out in a class that seeks only injunctive relief, so you may not have that choice.
Judges look closely at injunctive terms, especially when the lawyers' fee is tied to their value. A change that only repeats what the law already requires may be worth little to you. The notice should say how long the changes last.
Example
Say a subscription app is accused of making cancellation too hard. The settlement pays no cash. Instead, the company agrees to add a one-click cancel button, show the renewal price before charging, and send a reminder email before each renewal for three years. No subscriber receives a payment, but everyone who uses the app benefits from the changes. The court order requires the company to keep them in place.
FAQ
Not by itself. Injunctive relief changes what a company must do going forward, and some settlements pair it with cash payments. The notice says which kind you have.
Damages are money for harm that already happened. Injunctive relief is a court order to do something or stop doing something in the future.
Related terms
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, class actions (Cornell LII)
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65, injunctions and restraining orders (Cornell LII)
- Managing Class Action Litigation: A Pocket Guide for Judges, 3d ed. (Federal Judicial Center, 2010)
- Manual for Complex Litigation, Fourth, sections 21.321 and 21.71 (Federal Judicial Center)
Updated Oct 18, 2026. Plain-English definitions for general information — not legal or tax advice.