Rule 6.110.Special and General Findings in Separate Document
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 6.110
Plain-English Summary
The rule is a single sentence with a single requirement. Special or general findings, and conclusions, must be included in a document separate from the judgment. Nothing about them may be folded into the judgment itself.
For anyone drafting after a bench trial, that means two documents go up to the judge: the findings and conclusions in one, and the judgment in the other. A judgment that recites the court's reasoning in its opening paragraphs does not meet the rule, however conventional that form looks elsewhere.
The rule governs placement, not substance. It does not require the court to make findings, does not say what they must contain, and does not choose between special and general ones. It takes findings as it finds them and says where they live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can findings of fact go inside the judgment?
No. The rule requires special or general findings or conclusions to be included in a document separate from the judgment, so the two cannot be combined into one instrument.
Does this rule require the court to make findings at all?
No. It governs where findings go when they are made. Whether findings are required in a particular case comes from other law, not from this rule.
Does it cover conclusions of law too?
Yes. The rule names findings and conclusions together, and both belong in the separate document rather than in the judgment.
How many documents do I prepare?
Two. One sets out the findings and conclusions. The other is the judgment. The rule asks for nothing beyond that split.
Why keep the findings out of the judgment?
The rule gives no reason. The effect is a judgment that states what the court ordered, standing on its own, with the court's reasoning in a companion document that can be read beside it.