During a litigation nothing should be changed.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The status quo must be preserved during litigation — no party may alter the subject matter of the dispute while the suit is pending, lest the court's eventual judgment be rendered meaningless.

Where this applies

• A landlord is prohibited from demolishing a building while a tenant's lawsuit over the lease is still pending in court.
• A company cannot sell off the assets that are the subject of a shareholder lawsuit while the case is being litigated.
• A spouse is barred from transferring marital property to a third party while a divorce proceeding is underway, because the status quo must be preserved during litigation.