Asks the court to order the other side to answer discovery they've refused or stonewalled. Requires meet-and-confer first.
A request asking the court to order the opposing side (or a non-party) to comply with a discovery request — answer interrogatories, produce documents, sit for a deposition, or supplement evasive answers. Used when the meet-and-confer process has failed.
Filed after the moving party has served a discovery request and the responding party has refused, ignored, or given inadequate responses. The party MUST first try to resolve the dispute by conferring in good faith — federal courts will deny motions to compel without that showing.
Files an opposition explaining why the request is overbroad, irrelevant, privileged, unduly burdensome, or seeking work product. Often raises proportionality objections under Rule 26(b)(1).
Granted (court orders compliance, often with deadlines), denied (request was improper), or granted-in-part (court narrows the request). The losing side typically pays the prevailing side's reasonable expenses unless the court finds the position substantially justified.