In federal court—under Rule 68 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure—and in many states, there is an offer of judgment or offer of settlement procedure in which a party defending against a claim (defendant) may make an offer of judgment, or either party may make an offer of settlement.

If the party that receives the offer rejects it and does not win a better result at trial, the party who rejected the offer may be required to pay the offering party’s attorney fees and costs incurred after the offer was made.

An offer of judgment is an offer to allow a judgment to be taken against the party offering the judgment. An offer of judgment admits to liability and damages for a specific amount. An offer of settlement is similar but is in the form of an agreement or contract for settlement rather than a judgment from the court for the offered amount.

Laws vary from state to state and a state’s offer of judgment or offer of settlement procedure is usually located in its rules of civil procedure of code of civil procedure (statutes).

Under Rule 68 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a defendant in a federal court case can make an offer of judgment, and either party can make an offer of settlement. This rule is designed to encourage settlement by imposing potential costs on a party who rejects a settlement offer and then fails to achieve a better outcome at trial. Specifically, if the offeree rejects the offer and the final judgment is not more favorable than the offer, the offeree may have to pay the offeror's post-offer attorney fees and costs. In Oregon, the procedure for offers of judgment is governed by ORCP 54 E (Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure), which is similar to the federal rule. It allows a defendant to make a formal offer to settle the claim for a specified amount, and if the plaintiff rejects the offer and fails to obtain a more favorable judgment, the plaintiff may be required to pay the defendant's attorney fees and costs incurred after the offer was made. It's important to note that the specifics of how these offers work can vary, and an attorney can provide guidance on the strategic use of offers of judgment or settlement in the context of Oregon law.