In short, while both declaratory relief and motion for summary judgment offer legal solutions, the former provides a clarification of rights and responsibilities, and the latter seeks a ruling in favor of one party based on the presented evidence.
To bring a claim for declaratory judgment in a situation where a patent dispute may exist or develop, the claimant must establish that an actual controversy exists. If there is a substantial controversy of sufficient immediacy and reality, the court will generally proceed with the declaratory-judgment action.
For example, one party may claim that it performed under a commission agreement and is entitled to payment of his or her commission. The other party may file a declaratory judgment action seeking a declaration that there has not been performance under the agreement and that no commission is owed.
First, is the constitutional inquiry - the case must be a 'case or controversy' pursuant to Article III of the US Constitution. Second is the prudential inquiry – declaratory relief must be appropriate. Relief pursuant to the Declaratory Judgment Act also requires the establishment of standing under the statute.
One example of a declaratory judgment case is to ask the court to determine who owns a piece of property, or to ask the court to enforce an easement. This is especially common in what is called a “quiet title” action.
They are generally requested when a lawsuit is threatened but before the lawsuit is actually filed, when a conflict might exist between a party's or parties' rights under law or under contract and as a way to prevent multiple lawsuits from the same plaintiff.
A declaratory judgment is a binding judgment from a court defining the legal relationship between parties and their rights in a matter before the court. When there is uncertainty as to the legal obligations or rights between two parties, a declaratory judgment offers an immediate means to resolve this uncertainty.
They are generally requested when a lawsuit is threatened but before the lawsuit is actually filed, when a conflict might exist between a party's or parties' rights under law or under contract and as a way to prevent multiple lawsuits from the same plaintiff.
A declaratory judgment is a ruling of the court to clarify something (usually a contract provision) that is in dispute. A summary judgment is a ruling that a case or portion of a case must be dismissed because there are no triable issues of material fact in dispute.