Fresno Superior Court Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

Before filing certain California Code of Civil Procedure discovery motions in a civil unlimited case, the moving party must request an informal Pretrial Discovery Conference and obtain express permission to file after denial or unsuccessful conference.

No motion under sections 2017.010 through 2036.050, inclusive, of the California Code of Civil Procedure shall be heard in a civil unlimited case unless the moving party has first requested an informal Pretrial Discovery Conference with the Court and such request has either been denied and permission to file the motion is granted via court order or the discovery dispute has not been resolved as a result of the Conference and permission to file the motion is expressly granted.

A party must initiate and participate in a meet-and-confer process before requesting a Pretrial Discovery Conference.

Before filing a request for a Pretrial Discovery Conference, the requesting party must initiate and participate in a “meet and confer” process (see Local Rule 1.1.4) in an attempt to resolve or narrow any discovery dispute.

A Pretrial Discovery Conference request must use the clerk’s approved form, include a dispute summary and detailed meet-and-confer explanation, and be served on opposing counsel by the filing date.

Any request for a Pretrial Discovery Conference must be filed with the Clerk’s Office on the approved form (provided by the clerk), must include a brief summary of the dispute, must include a detailed explanation of meet and confer efforts, and must be served on opposing counsel on or before the date it is filed with the Court.

Before filing any law and motion matter, the hearing date and time must be reserved with the law and motion clerk, or alternatively obtained at the civil filing counter upon presenting moving papers and paying the appropriate fees.

Prior to the filing of any law and motion matter, a date and time for hearing shall be reserved with the law and motion clerk. Parties may also obtain a date and time for hearing of the law and motion matter for the earliest available date at the filing counter in the civil clerk’s office upon presentation of moving papers and payment of appropriate fees.

Unlimited and Limited Civil parties with a calendared Trial Readiness Hearing must attend a mandatory settlement conference at that hearing's time and place, under Local Rule 2.5.5.

All parties to Unlimited and Limited Civil Cases for which a Trial Readiness Hearing has been calendared are required to attend a mandatory settlement conference at the time and place of the Trial Readiness Hearing. The settlement conference shall be subject to the provisions of Local Rule 2.5.5.

The listed nine categories of ex parte applications may be considered without a hearing.

An ex parte application will be considered without a hearing in the following cases: 1. Application to file a memorandum of points and authorities in excess of the applicable page limit; 2. Stipulation by the parties for an order; 3. Application for appointment of a guardian ad litem in a civil case; 4. Application for an order extending time to serve pleading; 5. Application to serve by publication; 6. Extension of time by the court pursuant to the Superior Court of Fresno County, Local Rules, rule 2.1.6; 7. Motion to continue trial pursuant to the Superior Court of Fresno County, Local Rules, rule 2.1.10; 8. Application to substitute Doe under CCP 474. 9. Application for Certificates of Merit and Findings of Merit under CCP 340.1.

A petition seeking an interim order must be presented to the court before filing and service, and the order is granted upon a showing of good cause.

Petitions seeking an interim order are to be presented to the Court prior to filing and service. Interim orders will be granted upon a showing of good cause.

A settlement conference must be calendared and held before every contested hearing unless the judicial officer setting that hearing deems it unnecessary.

Settlement conferences shall be calendared and held prior to every contested hearing, unless deemed unnecessary by the judicial officer setting the contested hearing.

The court encourages parties to meet and confer with DCSS before filing a motion to determine arrears.

The court encourages parties to meet and confer with DCSS before filing a motion to determine arrears.