Riverside Superior Court Document Filing Requirements

CRITICAL

Applies to

Declaration

In advance of any trial setting conference, counsel and self-represented parties must file a declaration addressing three mutually available trial dates (Fridays at 10:00 a.m. within about 6 months), the bench/jury request and full time estimate, and ADR participation.

In advance of any trial setting conference, counsel and self-represented parties are ordered to meet and confer in person, by telephone, or by video, and prepare and file a declaration at least ten (10) days in advance of the trial setting conference addressing all of the following: a. Three available dates for trial agreed upon by counsel and self-represented parties, beginning on a Friday at 10:00 a.m., within approximately six (6) months of the Trial Setting Conference, if the Court has available trial dates within that timeframe. b. Whether parties are requesting a bench or jury trial, and the time estimate for the anticipated trial where one day of trial would generally be from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. c. Whether the parties have participated, or will be participating, in some form of alternative dispute resolution.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Motion in limine

The Court directs that no motion in a limine on the enumerated topics is necessary, including insurance, settlement, mediation, wealth, prior litigation, trial attendance, attorney’s fees, and bifurcation—the Court has already ordered the interrogating of a specific punitive damage.

It is also unnecessary to bring motions in limine to address any of the following issues: (1) Whether a party is now or was formerly insured against any type of loss or liability. (2) Except as permitted by Civil Code section 3333.1 (collateral benefits medical malpractice) ... any insurance benefits received by the plaintiff. (3) The retention of any counsel by an insurance company. (4) Settlement negotiations, mediation efforts, statements made during or concerning those events, or documents prepared for or during those events. (5) The existence or existence terms of any settlement agreements reached with other parties, or payments made pursuant to those settlements. (6) Unless punitive damages are being sought, the income, wealth, or financial condition of any of the parties. (7) Any other past or current litigation involving, or claims by or against the parties. However, an expert witness may be examined regarding number of cases in which the expert has been consulted. (8) Whether the party or a party’s representative was present or absent during a trial or portion, except that counsel may argue significance of a failure to testify. (9) Any party’s attorney’s fees or other litigation expenses, except where those are an element of damages. The as a matter of course remains the punitive damages shall be bifurcated so that the motion for the first of a limine is not required.

WARNINGCivil cases

Each motion in limine must include a summary of the moving party’s efforts to meet and confer on that specific motion.

Counsel well filing motions of the court must include in each a motion of the summary of efforts to meet and confer on that line of action.

WARNINGCivil cases

Must include

case number

A request for judicial notice must identify the case name and number, the document name, and date filed, and should not attach a second copy of the existing document.

If the court is asked to take judicial notice of a document already filed with the Riverside Superior Court in support of or in opposition to some motion or application, the request should state (a) the name and case number of the case in which the document is filed, (b) the full name of the document, and the date on which the document was filed. A second copy of the Chapter document should not be attached to the request.

WARNING

Parties without a fee waiver who arrange their own court reporter must file form RI-RE003 or RI-RE005 with the Court at least 5 days before any hearing.

For parties without a fee waiver, the parties may arrange, at their own expense, for their own reporter: the Court's policy governing Privately Retained Court Reporters: https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/system/files/2024-02/A101004%20Privately%20Retained%20Court%20Reporter.pdf Per this policy, parties must file with the Court at least 5 days prior to any hearing either: (1) local form RI-RE003 (Court-Approved List of Official Reporters Pro Tempore); or (2) Local form RI-RE005 (stipulation to a court reporter that is not on the Court-Approved list).

WARNING

Applies to

Pretrial order

The pretrial and status order must be prepared as a single document with a single caption and a single set of signatures.

The Court Trial Status Order and the Pretrial Order should be included in a single document with a single caption and a single set of signatures.