The United States consents to money suits through the Tucker Act — contracts, takings, illegal exaction, money-mandating statutes — heard in the Court of Federal Claims. The consent has edges, and cases die on them more than on merits.
Six years from accrual, strictly kept (six-year limit, 28 U.S.C. § 2501); sounding-in-tort claims excluded; equitable relief mostly unavailable; and for contract disputes under the CDA, the claims process must run first — a certified claim and a contracting officer's decision are the courthouse's admission ticket. Mapping a dispute onto the right theory before the clock runs is the actual first task.
The court's equitable powers are narrow — money is the remedy, with limited exceptions in protest and certain contract contexts. Cases needing conduct stopped usually need a different vehicle, chosen early.
Accrual and tolling doctrines are stingy — negotiation rarely stops the clock. File-preserving strategies exist; assuming goodwill extends deadlines is how meritorious claims die.
Smaller contract disputes can ride agency boards of contract appeals instead of COFC — cheaper, faster, binding. Forum choice under the CDA is an election with consequences; make it deliberately.