Abuse of process is a common law tort that involves the misuse of legal process(es) for an ulterior purpose. Abuse of process is one of several actionable offenses aimed at discouraging bad-faith litigation attempts. Indeed, courts hold the authority to sanction parties…
abuse of process in U.S. law
Generally, the elements for abuse of process are: (1) the use of an illegal or improper use of process; (2) an ulterior motive or improper purpose; and in some jurisdictions (3) harm to a litigant. For the purposes of abuse of process, an arbitration proceeding is a judicial proceeding. Abuse of process has been described as misusing a "criminal or civil process against another party for a purpose different than the proceeding's intended purposes" and thereby causing the party damages (e.g., arrest, seizure of property, or economic injury).
A classic case of abuse of process entails an attempt by a plaintiff to coerce the defendant to do some collateral thing which they could not be legally and regularly compelled to do. For example, in a case where a former employer sought to bring criminal charges to its employee to recover stolen money, while knowing that the employee was not responsible for the theft, the court held the employer liable for abuse of process for initiating criminal charges while knowing that the charges were unsupported by probable cause.
In regard to defenses to abuse of process, there is disagreement among jurisdictions on whether good-faith reliance on an attorney's advice in bringing action serves as a complete defense. Still, attorneys who bring the improper process can be held liable to the damaged party as well.
The practical impact of abuse of process
abuse of process appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
abuse of process — procedural details
In practice, abuse of process is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Cornell LII Wex , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.