The plaintiff has the burden of proving that the defendant has breached the contract and that injunctive relief is necessary to prevent further harm. The plaintiff must also prove that the harm caused by the breach cannot be adequately compensated through monetary damages alone.
These courts consider: (1) the likelihood of success on the merits; (2) irreparable harm if the injunction is not granted; (3) whether a balancing of the relevant equities favors the injunction; and (4) whether the issuance of the injunction is in the public interest.
Contempt of Court and Enforcement If a party fails to comply with the order, the court can hold the party in contempt of court. Contempt of court can result in fines, imprisonment, or both. The injured party can also seek enforcement of the injunctive order through the legal system.
In many cases, a contract will include an injunctive relief clause stating that one or both parties are entitled to relief to prevent them from suffering harm due to a breach of contract.
Injunctive relief clauses are often used in employment agreements to prevent employees from violating non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, or confidentiality agreements.
State judges can apparently be sued for injunctive relief, albeit in limited circumstances. Plaintiffs should apparently first seek, and federal courts should first award, declaratory relief before reaching for the more drastic remedy of an injunctive decree.
Injunctive relief usually takes one of three forms: temporary restraining order (TRO), preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction. As their modifying terms imply, each has a different level of the time commitment involved.
The party seeking a preliminary injunctive relief must demonstrate: (1) irreparable injury in the absence of such an order; (2) that the threatened injury to the moving party outweighs the harm to the opposing party resulting from the order; (3) that the injunction is not adverse to public interest; and (4) that the ...
In the case of a hearing, the applicant will present their arguments to a judge. If the judge is persuaded to make an order, they will grant an interim injunction and list a 'return hearing'. At the return hearing, the court will listen to the arguments of both parties and decide whether to make a 'final injunction'.