A subpoena is a court order that requires a person to appear in court or provide documents as evidence. Subpoenas are used to obtain information from people who are not part of a case, such as business records. Subpoenas are a great tool for requesting records from providers, requesting individuals to testify, and gathering information that the other side may not want you to have. For example, if the other party says they cannot pay child support, you might subpoena the credit application for a vehicle or rental to show they signed a document claiming a certain level of income.