What is release (settlement release)?

A release is the provision in a class settlement agreement under which class members give up their legal right to sue the defendant again over the claims covered by the settlement, in exchange for the settlement relief. Its exact scope — which claims, against which parties, covering what time period — is defined in the settlement agreement and repeated in the class notice.

The release generally applies automatically to everyone who does not opt out, whether or not they file a claim form, which is why the scope of a release matters even to class members who never submit anything. Disputes sometimes arise when a release is drafted more broadly than the claims actually litigated, sweeping in unrelated future claims against the same defendant — courts reviewing final approval are supposed to check that the release is reasonably tied to the facts of the case. Reading the release language in the settlement agreement, not just the notice summary, is the only way to know its exact boundaries.

Last reviewed 2026-08-22.