Contra Costa Superior Court Filing Rules

The evaluator must file Judicial Council Form FL-326 declaring qualifications as a private child custody evaluator.

At least seven court days before trial, the parties must exchange copies of all potential trial exhibits, including discovery responses, together with an exhibit list.

A useful-information Case Management Conference statement is required for every Case Management Conference and must address mediation, anticipated motions, and issues relating to pending parties.

The statement on interpreter needs must identify all parties and witnesses requesting spoken-language interpreter assistance.

Trial briefs must summarize the outstanding issues of facts to be tried. Novel or unique issues of the law should also be briefed. Trial briefs should contain the contested issues of fact and a statement of the relief requested.

At least 15 calendar days before a petition-for-distribution hearing, notice must be served on affected named beneficiaries and intestate heirs, with additional notice to specified trust trustees and beneficiaries.

The parties must serve the Witness List at least five calendar days before the Issue Conference.

A document served within seven days before trial must be hand-delivered, unless the receiving party agrees to electronic mail or fax service.

The parties must serve a witness list at least 10 calendar days before trial.

Motions in limine must be served on the opposing party, rather than filed, at least 10 court days before the Issue Conference.

A request for a court-provided reporter at a case management conference is timely if made at least three calendar days in advance using Local Court Form MC-30.

The parties must file and serve a witness list at least five calendar days before the Issue Conference.

The parties must file a witness list at least 10 calendar days before trial.

All parties must file issue conference statements no later than 10 calendar days before the scheduled issue conference.

The court will accept late documents only for good cause, and noncompliance may result in sanctions or a trial delay.

An untimely court-reporter request does not by itself justify a continuance unless good cause is shown.

When parties agree to continue a hearing, they should file the appropriate stipulation and order well before the hearing date.

The Court will not provide a reporter for a law and motion hearing when the tentative ruling is uncontested.

Except for DVPA restraining-order applications, every application must be submitted with the original and two copies.

Each exhibit on the Master Exhibit List must be pre-marked with its own numerical identifier.

If the Parties wish to submit digital copies of the Binders on a thumb drive (preferred), please ensure that the digital copies are prepared with an index or indices for easy access to the motions and/or all exhibits.

The electronic exhibit-list submission must be formatted as a Word document.

All exhibits presented by both parties must use unified numbering.

The Court permits facsimile filing of juvenile petitions under Welfare and Institutions Code sections 600 and 601.

The Court prefers digital documents, discourages paper documents unless necessary, and may excuse electronic exhibit preparation for parties unable or unskilled in preparing electronic copies.

The exhibit list must be submitted to the court in both hard-copy and electronic Word-document form.

Counsel must electronically file the required exhibit and witness lists by the first day of trial, with only one list required when a stipulated joint list exists.

Parties should avoid submitting any Required Papers by email to Department 34 in the absence of express direction to do so by the Court.

Each party must file and serve an Issue Conference Statement no more than 10 pages long at least five court days before the conference.

Trial briefs must be filed at least 10 days before trial, summarize the factual issues, address novel or unique legal issues, state requested relief, and not exceed 20 pages without leave of court.

The trial brief must be filed and served and may not exceed 20 pages.

The joint letter brief submitted for a pre-trial discovery conference may not exceed five pages.

Petitions for involuntary medication and related supporting or opposing documents may be filed under seal in an envelope marked “Confidential.”

Before filing a discovery motion, attorneys should timely meet and confer and make good-faith efforts to resolve as many discovery issues as possible rather than engage in a merely pro forma effort.

The court entertains requests for a pre-trial discovery conference intended to informally resolve discovery disputes within 30 days without formal motion briefing or a hearing.

The parties must meet and confer about the trial exhibits at the Advance Trial Conference.

For confidential Tuesday 1:40 p.m. calendar matters, parties and their attorneys may obtain the matter-specific tentative ruling by calling the probate staff between 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at (925) 608-2613.

Questions about the location of a scheduled Settlement Conference should be directed to the Department 34 clerk in advance.

Parties must notify the court as soon as possible about scheduling problems involving a witness, interpreter, party, or lawyer.

Make appointment with Court Clerk (925) 608-1116.

One copy of the resulting writ order must be delivered both to the hearing department and to the Research Attorney’s Office.

A courtesy copy of the Witness List must be lodged at the parties' first appearance for trial.

The Court accepts courtesy copies of physical-paper exhibit binders, but they are unnecessary when electronic copies are provided on thumb drives.

Courtesy copies of pre-trial motions are generally not required, except as otherwise outlined in the order.

An electronic courtesy copy of the trial brief must be sent to the stated Department 14 email address.

Supporting affidavits, declarations, memoranda of points and authorities, and similar documents must be attached to the moving papers when filed.

The Court encourages but does not require a single binder compiling all motion in limine papers.

If there are more than a small number of exhibits, the sides are to put all exhibits into one or more binders with appropriate tabs.

All motions should appear on one submitted document.