What does a 'doe clause' indicate in legal documents?

A 'doe clause' refers specifically to a scenario in legal documents where the names of one or more defendants are not known at the time the document is filed. This clause allows a plaintiff to bring a lawsuit against unidentified parties, using placeholders such as "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" to represent these unknown defendants. This mechanism acknowledges that litigation can proceed even if all parties cannot be identified immediately, enabling the plaintiff to amend their complaint later once the true identities are revealed. Therefore, option C accurately describes the purpose and function of a doe clause in legal contexts.