Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County Document Filing Requirements

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Motions should state all parties’ positions and, if a party could not be reached, the number, dates, and times of contact attempts and the methods used.

Please provide the position of all parties in your Motion. If you could not get ahold of a party please indicate how many times you tried to reach them and the dates and times of the contact and the method used for the contact.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Proposed order

When applicable, submit orders in WORD format without a “proposed” heading or strikethrough, and in final form.

Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format. Do not use the heading "proposed" in your order. Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final format.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Exhibits

Before submitting exhibits, parties must bates-stamp their records, with Plaintiff using numbers 1–499 and Defendant using 500–1000.

Prior to submitting any exhibits, the parties are required to bate stamp their records. The Plaintiff is to use numbers 1-499, and the Defendant should use the numbers 500-1000.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Submit an order with a stipulation or motion that states the precise relief requested or stipulated to.

Please provide orders for stipulations and motions: If you have a stipulation to a basic extension or other motion, please submit an order with the motion that sets forth the precise relief you are requesting/stipulating to.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial statement

The pretrial statement must list objections to the other party’s exhibits, and an omitted objection is waived.

d. A list of objections to the other party’s exhibits. Any objection not listed in the Pretrial Statement will be deemed waived.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Proposed order

Must include

proposed order

Proposed orders under Probate Rule 15 must be submitted to the court in hard copy at least five days before the hearing.

In addition, Probate Rule 15 requires submittal of proposed orders to the court no less than 5 days prior to a hearing, and this must also be done by hard copy to the division.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial statement

The pretrial statement must identify each disputed issue and each party’s position; an omitted issue is waived absent good cause.

The Pretrial Statement shall include:   a. A description of each disputed issue the court must decide, and a statement of each party’s position on that issue. Absent good cause shown, failure to list an issue in the Pretrial Statement will be deemed a waiver of that issue.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial statement

The pretrial statement must list hearing witnesses, and an unlisted witness is excluded absent good cause.

b. A list of witnesses to be called at the hearing. Absent good cause shown, failure to list a witness will result in that witness being excluded.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial statement

The pretrial statement must list hearing exhibits, and an unlisted exhibit is excluded absent good cause.

c. A list of exhibits to be used at the hearing. Absent good cause shown, failure to list an exhibit will result in that exhibit being excluded.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

A motion for additional hearing time must include the opposing party’s position or it may be lodged for ruling or denied without prejudice if there is insufficient time for a response.

Any such motion that fails to contain the position of the opposing party will be lodged for ruling or denied without prejudice if insufficient time for response remains prior to the hearing.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Joint statement of discovery or disclosure dispute

Must include

certificate of conference

A joint discovery or disclosure dispute statement must include a certificate of good faith consultation.

The joint statement must not exceed three pages and must contain a certificate of good faith consultation.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Joint pretrial statement

Joint pretrial statements are required, but separate statements are accepted when the parties cannot agree or work together.

Joint Pretrial Statements are required. Because the information contained in this filing is so important, separate statements are accepted if the parties cannot agree or are unable to work together. I would rather have two, separate pretrial statements than none at all.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion to withdraw as counsel of record

Must include

certificate of service

A motion to withdraw must comply with Arizona Rule 5.3; without the client’s written consent in a pending matter, the court waits until the response period has passed, and counsel must serve the motion on the client and state that service in the certificate of service.

When filing a motion to withdraw as counsel of record, counsel must comply with Rule 5.3, Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure. Pursuant to those rules, if a matter is pending and counsel has not obtained the client’s written consent to counsel’s withdrawal, I will not rule on the motion to withdraw until the time for the filing of a response has passed. In addition, if the motion does not bear the client’s written consent, counsel must be sure to serve a copy of the motion upon the client and reflect such service in the certificate of service.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Submit a form of order with each motion and email a copy to the Judicial Assistant.

Submit a form of order with your motion and please ensure you send a copy to my Judicial Assistant via email.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

An attorney’s withdrawal request filed within two weeks of a hearing must state that opposing counsel or the opposing party was notified of the intent to withdraw; obtaining their position is not required.

• Attorney requests to withdraw filed within two weeks of a hearing must include a statement that the moving attorney notified the opposing counsel or opposing party of his/her intent to withdraw. This is just a notification to the other side; not a requirement to obtain the opposing party’s position on the issue.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

For Rule 26(d) procedures and many other motion, dispute-resolution, or sanctions procedures, the moving party must attach a separate good-faith statement documenting consultation in person or by telephone, not merely by letter or email.

• Good Faith Certificate: Please remember that when using the procedures under Rule 26(d), or many other Rules governing the filing of motions, resolution of disputes, or seeking of sanctions, the moving party is required to “attach to the motion a separate statement certifying and demonstrating that the movant has tried in good faith to resolve the issue by conferring with, or attempting to confer with – the party against whom the motion is directed. The consultation must be in person or by telephone and not merely by letter or email.” Rule 7.1(h), Ariz.R.Civ.P.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Submit an order with a stipulation or motion that states the precise relief requested or stipulated to.

Please provide orders for stipulations and motions: If you have a stipulation to a basic extension or other motion, please submit an order with the motion that sets forth the precise relief you are requesting/stipulating to.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Submit a proposed order and self-addressed stamped envelopes with each motion.

Please include proposed orders with your motion and include self-addressed stamped envelopes.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion to continue

A motion to continue should state the opposing party’s position or, if contact was unsuccessful, describe the attempt to contact them.

If you are filing a Motion to Continue, please indicate the opposing party's position; if the task is unable to be completed due to an inability to contact the opposing party, please describe the attempt made.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

A time-sensitive or genuinely emergency or expedited motion must place the specified phrase to the right of the caption and state the basis for expedited relief.

If you are filing a motion which is time sensitive or truly requires emergency or expedited consideration, you must include the phrase "expedited consideration requested" to the right of the caption, and you must state in the motion the basis for your request for expedited relief.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

A request for oral argument must be noted in the motion caption.

If you request oral argument on a motion, please note your request in the caption of the motion.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Plea agreement

Plea agreements must be written and signed; emailed copies are accepted.

Plea agreements must be in writing and signed, but emailed copies will be accepted.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Joint statement of discovery or disclosure dispute

Must include

certificate of conference

The joint dispute statement must contain a certificate of good-faith consultation and may not include exhibits.

The joint statement may not exceed three pages and contain a certificate of good faith consultation. The summaries may not include exhibits.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Supplemental briefing

Supplemental briefing may not be filed without leave of court.

No party should file supplemental briefing without leave of the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Every motion must be submitted with a fully drafted proposed form of order.

Fully drafted proposed forms of order SHALL be submitted with all motions. Please do not argue with my staff over whether the rules require this. I require it.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Submit a fully drafted proposed order with every motion and petition; submit it in MS Word whenever possible.

Fully drafted proposed forms of order must be submitted with all motions and petitions. Whenever possible please submit proposed forms of order in MS Word to allow for easier editing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Pleading

E-filed pleadings containing more than five exhibits must include bookmarks to every attached exhibit in the PDF pleading.

All e-filed pleadings, including, but not limited to, summary judgment pleadings, that contain more than 5 exhibits shall contain bookmarks to all exhibits attached to your pleading(s). All bookmarks must be contained in your e-filed pleading in pdf format.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion in limine

Motions in Limine should not be filed in bench trials without leave of Court.

Motions in Limine should not be filed in bench trials without leave of Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Summary judgment motion

Each party may file only one summary judgment motion unless the Court grants leave for good cause shown.

The Court permits only one Motion for Summary Judgment per party absent leave of Court for good cause shown.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

For most motions handled by eFile, lodge an electronic Word-format order form and omit “Proposed” or “[Proposed]” from it.

This division handles most motions via eFile; please lodge a Word format electronic form of order. Please do not include the word "Proposed" or "[Proposed]" on Word format forms of order; omitting it makes e-filing more efficient for the Division

CRITICAL

Applies to

Supplemental briefing

Supplemental briefing may not be filed without leave of Court.

No party should file supplemental briefing without leave of Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion or stipulation to schedule hearing

Scheduling, rescheduling, or vacating a hearing requires a written motion or stipulation, and the Court will not act without a filed motion.

The Court requires a written motion or stipulation to schedule, reschedule, or vacate hearings. The Court will not schedule, reschedule, or vacate hearings without the filing of a motion.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion or stipulation

Must include

proposed order

Motions and stipulations must be filed with proposed orders; an emailed proposed order must be in Word format, and a motion for which an order is applicable may be rejected until the proposed order is provided.

Motions or stipulations shall be filed with proposed orders. If emailed to the Division, please submit the proposed order in Word format. If a proposed order is applicable to the motion, and it is not submitted with the motion, the Court reserves the right to reject your motion until it is accompanied by a proposed form of order.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion for leave to exceed page limit

Must include

legal argument

A motion for leave to exceed a pleading’s page limit must state specific reasons; a generic request may be denied.

If you file a motion for leave to exceed the page length of a pleading, you will need to provide specific reasons. A generic statement that you need more pages may result in denial of your motion.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Proposed order

Must include

proposed order

When applicable, provide an order in WORD format without a “proposed” heading or strikethrough, and submit it in final form.

• Provide a proposed order, when applicable, in WORD format. Do not use the heading "proposed" in your order. Do not use strikethrough format for the Orders - they should be in final format.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

A party whose motion cites out-of-state cases must provide the Court copies of those cases.

If motions contain out of state cases, that party shall provide the Court with copies of those cases.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

An attorney’s withdrawal request filed within two weeks of a hearing must state that the opposing counsel or party was notified of the intent to withdraw; obtaining their position is not required.

Attorney requests to withdraw filed within two weeks of a hearing must include a statement that the moving attorney notified the opposing counsel or opposing party of his/her intent to withdraw. This is just a notification to the other side; not a requirement to obtain the opposing party’s position on the issue.

CRITICAL

Hearings are recorded by the Court; outside or personal recording is prohibited without prior court approval.

Each hearing is recorded through the Court’s recording system. Outside or personal recording of a hearing by any means (cell phone, tape recorder, laptop, etc.) is prohibited without prior approval from the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Requests to vacate or continue a hearing must include a form of order.

Requests to vacate or continue a hearing must include the other parties’ position or indicate that a reasonable attempt was made to contact the other party, and a form of order.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

certificate of conference

For Rule 26(d) and many other motion, dispute-resolution, or sanctions procedures, the moving party must attach a separate statement demonstrating a good-faith effort to confer in person or by telephone, not merely by letter or email.

Good Faith Certificate: Please remember that when using the procedures under Rule 26(d), or many other Rules governing the filing of motions, resolution of disputes, or seeking of sanctions, the moving party is required to “attach to the motion a separate statement certifying and demonstrating that the movant has tried in good faith to resolve the issue by conferring with, or attempting to confer with – the party against whom the motion is directed. The consultation must be in person or by telephone and not merely by letter or email.” Rule 7.1(h), Ariz.R.Civ.P.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

When a proposed order applies, the Court may reject a motion until the proposed order is submitted with it.

If a proposed order is applicable to the motion, and it is not submitted with the motion, the Court reserves the right to reject the motion until it is accompanied by a proposed form of order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion or stipulation

Must include

proposed order

Motions and stipulations must be filed with a proposed order in Word format.

Motions or stipulations shall be filed with a proposed order in Word format.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Hearing scheduling motion

The Court will not schedule, reschedule, or vacate a hearing without a properly filed motion.

The Court will not schedule, reschedule, or vacate hearings without the filing of a proper motion.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Hearing scheduling request

Must include

legal argument

Scheduling, rescheduling, or vacating a hearing requires a written motion or stipulation.

The Court requires a written motion or stipulation to schedule, reschedule, or vacate hearings.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Trial or evidentiary hearing setting

All discovery, including resolution of all discovery disputes, must be completed before a trial or evidentiary hearing can be set.

In all cases, a further prerequisite to setting a Trial or Evidentiary Hearing is that all discovery shall be completed. Completion of discovery includes resolution of all discovery disputes.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Motions should include a proposed form of order.

Motions should include a proposed form of order.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

All motions must be made in writing.

All motion must be made in writing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

Every motion must be accompanied by a proposed order.

A proposed order must accompany every motion.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ai assisted filing

Parties and counsel must independently verify AI-generated text, citations, factual assertions, and arguments; pleadings containing fabricated authorities, nonexistent citations, false facts, or misrepresentations will not be accepted.

Parties and counsel are responsible for independently verifying the accuracy of any AI generated text, legal citation, factual assertion, or argument. The Court will not accept pleadings that contain fabricated authorities, non existent citations, false facts, or misrepresentations.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Filing

Each filing must be self-contained and may not incorporate other separate filings by reference for the Court’s review.

Additionally, all filings shall be fully self-contained and shall not “incorporate by reference” other separate filings for review and consideration as part of the pending filing.