An agreed case is a procedure that can be used in rare situations in which the parties to a lawsuit agree on the facts and disagree on the relevant law as applied to the facts. In such a case the parties stipulate to the facts, file a narrative statement of the agreed facts, and submit the case to the court for a ruling.
If a case submitted on an agreed statement of facts is appealed, the narrative statement of facts stipulated to by the parties is filed with the appellate court (often the court of appeals) rather than the trial court record (a transcript of the trial that includes witness testimony and documents admitted in evidence).
In Texas, an agreed case is a legal procedure where all parties involved in a lawsuit concur on the factual aspects of the case but hold differing views on how the law should be applied to these facts. This process allows for a more streamlined resolution, as there is no need for a trial to establish the facts. Instead, the parties prepare a narrative statement of the agreed facts and submit this along with their legal arguments to the court for a decision. This method is particularly useful for cases that hinge on legal interpretation rather than factual disputes. When such a case is appealed, the agreed statement of facts is sent directly to the appellate court, bypassing the need for a full trial transcript. This can expedite the appellate review since the focus is on legal analysis rather than fact-finding.
