Rule 71.Process in behalf of and against persons not parties.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceRule 71 lets a person who isn't a party enforce a court order made in their favor, and allows a court order to be enforced against a non-party bound by it, using the same enforcement process available to parties.
Full Text of Rule 71
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When an order is made in favor of a person who is not a party to the action, he may enforce obedience to the order by the same process as if he were a party; and, when obedience to an order may be lawfully enforced against a person who is not a party, he is liable to the same process for enforcing obedience to the order as if he were a party.
The source reproduced here (current through June 18, 2026) records no amendment to this rule since its original adoption — no History line appears for it in the compiled rules. For the underlying adopting order and any later amendments, see the West’s Rules & Procedures.
Plain-English Summary
Most orders in a lawsuit run between the parties who filed it and the parties who defend it. Rule 71 covers what happens when someone outside that circle has a stake in an order. If a court order was made in favor of a person who isn't a party, that person can enforce it using the same process a party would use. And if an order can be enforced against someone who isn't a party, that person faces the same enforcement process as if they had been a party all along.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone who isn't a party to a lawsuit enforce a court order?
Yes. Under Rule 71, a person who isn't a party can enforce a court order made in their favor using the same process a party would use to enforce it.
Can a court order bind someone who was never a party to the case?
Rule 71 provides that when an order can lawfully be enforced against a person even though they weren't a party, that person faces the same enforcement process as if they had been a party.
Does Rule 71 create special enforcement tools for non-parties?
No. Rule 71 doesn't create new process -- it extends the same enforcement process already available against or for parties to a non-party who benefits from or is bound by the order.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 71). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:enforcing an order against a non-partyCR 71 Kentuckyprocess against persons not partiescan a non-party enforce a court orderKentucky Rule of Civil Procedure 71order in favor of nonparty enforcement