Legacy
That point in a lawsuit when the defendant has challenged (denied) some or all of plaintiff’s allegations of facts, and/or when it is known which legal questions are in dispute. this is stated in the expression: “the issue is joined,” in the same manner as a military man would say: “the battle has been joined,” meaning the fight is underway. thus, the pre-trial legal underbrush has been cleared away, the motions made, and the pre-trial discovery (depositions, requests for documents, written questions and answers, and other demands for information) sufficiently completed, all of which makes clear what matters are to be decided by trial.
