Status quo preservation: court orders maintain existing conditions without adjudicating parties' rights, guiding conduct during disputes. The term status quo signifies the existing state of affairs at a specified date, commonly described as the last actual, peaceable and uncontested condition preceding a dispute. Orders preserving the status quo-including preliminary injunctions-maintain those conditions to prevent alteration pending adjudication, serving as protective procedural directions that do not finally determine the parties' substantive rights.