What does surplusage refer to in legal proceedings?

Surplusage refers to irrelevant matter in a legal proceeding that does not contribute to the legal issues at hand. This could include extraneous details or unnecessary information that, while possibly interesting, does not aid in resolving the core legal questions of the case. It is significant in legal documents and trials because it can lead to confusion or distract from the main arguments, and it may be subject to being struck from the record to streamline the proceedings. In contrast, necessary testimony, court notices, and joint property agreements all pertain to essential elements of legal processes and documentation rather than to the concept of surplusage.