What are material facts?

• A. Facts that affect the outcome of the case and are not relevant or unnecessary
• B. Facts that will affect the outcome of the case and are directly tied to the relief sought
• C. Facts that will affect the outcome of the case and are not irrelevant or unnecessary
• D. Facts that are discovered during trial

Answer: (C)

Material facts are those facts that, if true, could affect the outcome of the case. They must be relevant to the claims or defenses and not merely incidental or unnecessary. In other words, a fact is material if its existence or nonexistence could change the judge’s or jury’s decision on liability, damages, or the relief granted. For example, in a breach-of-contract case, whether a contract existed, whether it was breached, and the amount of damages are material; background or trivial details, like unrelated events or minor circumstances, are immaterial. The correct understanding is that material facts are about what matters to the court’s ultimate decision, not about things that don’t influence the result.