Preliminary approval
Preliminary approval is the first sign off by a judge on a proposed settlement, allowing notices to go out and the claim period to be scheduled. It is not final, and claims usually cannot be filed yet.
At this stage the judge has decided the deal looks fair enough to tell the class about. The settlement website, the claim form, and the deadlines are set up in the weeks that follow.
This is the earliest point at which a settlement becomes public knowledge, which is why it appears in court dockets long before any claim website exists. A settlement listed here as approved but not open yet is at this stage.
Nothing should be asking you for money or bank details at preliminary approval. If something does, it is not the settlement.
Related terms
Final approval
Final approval is the decision by a judge, after a fairness hearing, that the settlement is fair and can take effect. Payments follow once any appeals are resolved.
Class action settlement
A class action settlement is an agreement that ends a lawsuit brought on behalf of a large group of people, where the defendant pays into a fund that group members can claim from without suing individually.