San Francisco Superior Court Chambers Communication Rules

A party intending to appear at a tentative-ruling hearing must promptly notify opposing parties and the court, no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing, unless the tentative ruling requires a hearing.

Parties who intend to appear at the hearing must give notice to opposing parties and the court promptly, but no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing unless the tentative ruling has specified that a hearing is required.

Contact

Email

Notice contesting a tentative ruling must be sent by email to the designated court address, copied to all other parties, and state without argument the portions contested.

Notice of contesting a tentative ruling must be provided by sending an email to the court to contestdept301tr@sftc.org or contestdept302tr@sftc.org with a copy to all other parties stating, without argument, the portion(s) of the tentative ruling that the party contests.

Contact

Email to clerk

The agreed-hearing notice must be sent by email to the courtroom clerk with all other parties copied.

If all parties agree to continue a hearing scheduled on the Law and Motion or Readiness Calendar, by 12:00 p.m. three court days prior to the scheduled hearing, at least one party must email the courtroom clerk in the department in which the matter is calendared (with all other parties copied on the email) stating whether the parties have an agreement to vacate or continue the hearing.

Contact

Email to chambers

A request to take a motion off calendar or continue its hearing must be emailed with a copy to all other parties to one of the two specified Law and Motion calendar addresses.

A request that a motion be taken off calendar or that a hearing be continued to a later date must be made by email, with a copy to all other parties, to calendar301@sftc.org or calendar302@sftc.org.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3823

A party presenting a qualifying Law and Motion ex parte application must schedule the hearing with the court clerk by calling at least 24 hours before the proposed hearing date.

A party presenting an ex parte application in the Law and Motion Department for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver or similar matter must schedule the hearing with the Court clerk. For Law and Motion and Discovery Departments call: 415-551-3823 at least 24 hours in advance of the proposed hearing date.

A party appearing alone after a substantive Tentative Ruling must notify the Court Clerk and the other party of its intent to present oral argument by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding court day.

If only one party appears, the Court will not allow that party to argue unless, no later than 4:00 p.m. on the court day before the hearing date, that party informed the Court Clerk and gave notice to the other party of the intention to appear and present oral argument.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3906

A party must telephone the Office of the Court Clerk at (415) 551-3906 to schedule an ex parte hearing.

To schedule an ex parte hearing, a party must call the Office of the Court Clerk at (415) 551-3906.

An attorney submitting a proposed order must also email a Microsoft Word version to the clerk of the assigned trial department.

Any attorney submitting a proposed order to the court must also submit an electronic version (Microsoft Word) of the proposed order by email to the clerk in the assigned trial department.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3702

The moving party must telephone the Probate Department courtroom at 415-551-3702 to obtain a hearing date and time.

The moving party must phone the Probate Department courtroom at 415-551-3702 to obtain a hearing date and time.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3702

Unless an appearance is required, a party contesting a tentative ruling must notify opposing counsel and call the Probate Department courtroom clerk at 415-551-3702 by 4:00 p.m. on the court day before the hearing.

Unless an appearance is required, any party contesting the tentative ruling must notify opposing counsel and advise the Court by calling the Probate Department courtroom clerk at 415-551-3702 no later than 4:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing.

Contact

Phone

Ex parte appearances must be scheduled in advance through CourtCall rather than by in-person appearance.

11:00 a.m. Ex Parte Hearings – Appearances are by CourtCall only. Parties must contact CourtCall at 1-888-88-COURT in advance to schedule an appearance for both Department 301 (Odd case numbers) and Department 302 (Even case numbers).

Contact

Email to chambers

An ex parte application for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, or receiver appointment requires an email to the appropriate calendar address at least 24 hours before the proposed hearing.

A party presenting an ex parte application in the law and motion department for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver must schedule the hearing with the court by sending an email to calendar301@sftc.org or  calendar302@sftc.org at least 24 hours in advance of the proposed hearing date.

The Court will communicate with a consulting attorney, mediator, legal document preparer, or assistant only after the required declaration has been filed.

The Court will not respond to or communicate with anyone other than a party or a party’s attorney of record unless the following document has been filed: DECLARATION RE: CONTACT WITH CONSULTING ATTORNEY, MEDIATOR, OR LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARER OR ASSISTANT, SFUFC Form 11.14-A.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3823

A party presenting certain Law and Motion ex parte applications must schedule the hearing with the court clerk by calling 415-551-3823 at least 24 hours before the proposed hearing date.

A party presenting an ex parte application in the Law and Motion Department for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver or similar matter must schedule the hearing with the Court clerk. For Law and Motion and Discovery Departments call: 415-551-3823 at least 24 hours in advance of the proposed hearing date.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3906

To schedule an ex parte hearing, a party must call the Office of the Court Clerk at (415) 551-3906.

To schedule an ex parte hearing, a party must call the Office of the Court Clerk at (415) 551-3906.

Contact

Email to clerk

At least one party must notify the courtroom clerk by departmental email at least one court day before a scheduled hearing if the parties reach an agreement before the hearing.

If an agreement is reached prior to a scheduled Court hearing, at least one party must notify the respective courtroom clerk via departmental inbox (departmental email addresses can be found on the Court’s website https://sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/unified-family-court ) at least one (1) court day prior to the scheduled hearing.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3744

If both parties are available, the requesting party must call the clerk at (415) 551-3744 by Monday noon to obtain an earlier conference date.

If both parties are available, the party requesting the earlier date must call the clerk at (415) 551-3744 by Monday at 12:00 p.m.

Judgment documents cannot be mailed to a consulting attorney, mediator, or legal document preparer or assistant without a fully executed SFUFC Form 11.14-A.

Judgment documents will not be mailed to a consulting attorney, mediator, or legal document preparer or assistant without a fully executed SFUFC Form 11.14-A.

Contact

Email to clerk

Motion hearing dates must be reserved by email before filing, and a motion cannot be filed without court approval of the hearing date and time.

All motion hearing dates must be reserved by email with the clerk of Department 613 prior to filing. Parties may not file a motion without the court’s approval of the hearing date and time.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3823

A party presenting a qualifying Law and Motion ex parte application must schedule the hearing with the court clerk by calling 415-551-3823 at least 24 hours before the proposed hearing date.

A party presenting an ex parte application in the Law and Motion Department for a temporary restraining order, alternative writ, appointment of a receiver or similar matter must schedule the hearing with the Court clerk. For Law and Motion and Discovery Departments call: 415-551-3823 at least 24 hours in advance of the proposed hearing date.

Phone

Dept 403: (415) 551-3741; Dept 404: (415) 551-3744

Oral argument will not be permitted unless the Court and all parties receive notice by 4:00 p.m. on the court day before the hearing, unless the Court orders otherwise.

Unless the Court and all parties have been notified of a request to present oral argument by 4:00 p.m. on the court day preceding the scheduled hearing, no oral argument will be permitted except by order of the Court.

Contact

Email to clerk

At least one party must email the appropriate courtroom clerk by noon at least one court day before the hearing when an agreement is reached in advance.

If an agreement is reached prior to a scheduled Court hearing, at least one party must notify the respective courtroom clerk via departmental inbox (Department403@sftc.org; Department404@sftc.org; or Department405@sftc.org) by noon (12:00 p.m.) at least one (1) court day prior to the scheduled hearing.

The Court will communicate with a consulting attorney, mediator, or legal document preparer or assistant only after the required declaration is filed.

The Court will not respond to or communicate with anyone other than a party or a party’s attorney of record unless the following document has been filed: DECLARATION RE: CONTACT WITH CONSULTING ATTORNEY, MEDIATOR, OR LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARER OR ASSISTANT, SFUFC Form 11.14-A.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-3702

Unless an appearance is required, a party contesting a tentative ruling must notify opposing counsel and call the courtroom clerk by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding court day.

Unless an appearance is required, any party contesting the tentative ruling must notify opposing counsel and advise the Court by calling the Probate Department courtroom clerk at 415-551-3702 no later than 4:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing.

A party intending to appear at a tentative-ruling hearing must promptly notify opposing parties and the court no later than 4:00 p.m. on the preceding court day, unless the ruling already requires a hearing.

Parties who intend to appear at the hearing must give notice to opposing parties and the court promptly, but no later than 4:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing, unless the tentative ruling has specified that a hearing is required.

Contact

Email

Notice contesting a tentative ruling must be sent by email to contestasbestostr@sftc.org and state the intention to contest without argument.

Notice of contesting a tentative ruling must be provided by sending an email to the court to contestasbestostr@sftc.org stating, without argument, the intention to contest.

A party without email access may personally deliver a letter containing the required continuance or off-calendar information to the Law and Motion Department instead of emailing it.

If a party requesting that a motion be taken off calendar or that a hearing be continued to a later date does not have email access, the party may, in lieu of email, provide all of the foregoing information in a letter personally delivered to the Law and Motion Department.

If unresolved issues remain after meeting and conferring, the parties must contact the clerk to schedule the matter on the next available Trial Setting Calendar.

If, after having met and conferred, the parties are unable to resolve all of the outstanding issues, the parties must contact the clerk of the courtroom in which the Child Custody Evaluation was ordered to arrange for the matter to be set on the next available Trial Setting Calendar in the assigned Department or Department 405, depending upon the anticipated length of the long cause hearing.

The parties or their attorneys must notify the court if the case issues are resolved before a scheduled post-evaluation procedure and provide a date for submitting their stipulation.

The parties, or their attorneys, must notify the court if the issues of the case have been resolved prior to any scheduled post-evaluation procedure and provide a date by which their stipulation will be submitted to the court.

Failure to notify the court that a scheduled hearing will not proceed may result in sanctions.

Failure to notify the Court that a scheduled hearing will not proceed may result in the imposition of sanctions.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3747

The requesting party must notify the other party and, if both are available, call the clerk at (415) 551-3747 by Monday at noon.

The party requesting the earlier date must notify the other party to determine the other party’s availability. If both parties are available, the party requesting the earlier date must call the clerk at (415) 551-3747 by Monday at 12:00 p.m.

Contact

Email to clerk

Communications to the Department 304 clerk should be by email with all counsel included, and ex parte communications with the Court will not be considered.

Generally, the clerk of Department 304 prefers email communications. If a party emails the clerk, they must include all counsel on the email. Ex parte communications with the Court will not be considered.

Contact

Email to clerk

The Department 304 email is for administrative purposes only and should not be used for legal argument or counsel-to-counsel communication threads.

The complexlit@sftc.org email address is used for administrative purposes only. Counsel shall reserve legal argument for motion practice and refrain from including the complexlit@sftc.org email in threads that contain communications between or amongst counsel.

Contact

Email to clerk

The parties must jointly email the Department 304 address to request a Zoom appearance.

Should the parties wish to appear via Zoom, they are to jointly email complexlit@sftc.org to make that request.

Contact

Email

A party in a legally confidential case must provide the court an email address for delivery of tentative rulings.

Parties to cases designated as confidential by law must provide the Court with an email address to which the Court may deliver tentative rulings.

Contact

Phone

Opposing parties may be notified of an oral-argument request by telephone or email without direct discussion, but a party protected by a restraining order must not contact the other party and may contact the Court or the other party's attorney instead.

Notice to opposing parties may consist of a phone call or email explaining that argument is being requested. It is not necessary to speak with counsel or parties directly. If you are protected by a restraining order or if the other party is protected by a restraining order, do not contact the other party to tell him or her that you intend to appear at the hearing. You only need to contact the Court. However, you are permitted to contact an attorney representing the other party.

At other hearings, the Criminal Court must inform the Unified Family Court of changes in court orders and probation violations.

B. At Other Hearings: The Criminal Court will inform the Unified Family Court of any changes in Court orders, violations of probation.

Contact

Email to clerk

Counsel and their staff may not email the Department 613 inbox for filing-processing issues or other matters that should be directed to the clerk’s office or File&ServeXpress customer service.

Counsel and/or their staff shall not email the Department 613 inbox regarding processing filings or other matters appropriately directed to the clerk’s office or customer service for File&ServeXpress.

Contact

Email to clerk

Communications with the Department 613 clerk must be sent to the department email, include all counsel, and be followed up by email rather than telephone.

Please use the Department 613 email to communicate with the clerk: Department613ComplexLit@sftc.org. The emails must include all counsel. Ex parte communications with the court will not be considered. If you do not receive a timely response, follow up using email, not by telephone.

Contact

Email to clerk

The Department 613 email is for administrative purposes only and should not include legal argument or counsel communication threads.

The Department613ComplexLit@sftc.org email address is used for administrative purposes only. Counsel should not include legal argument or threads that include communication among counsel in emails to Department613ComplexLit@sftc.org.

Contact

Email

Counsel must request an informal discovery conference by email to Department 613.

To request an informal discovery conference, counsel must send an email to Department 613.

Contact

Phone

A party intending to appear must promptly notify opposing parties by telephone no later than 4 p.m. the day before the hearing, unless the tentative ruling requires a hearing; failure to notify prevents argument if the opposing party does not appear.

3) Parties who intend to appear at the hearing must give notice to opposing parties by telephone promptly, but no later than 4 p.m. the day before the hearing unless the tentative ruling has specified that the hearing is required. A party may not argue at the hearing if the opposing party is not so notified and the opposing party does not appear.

An incarcerated parent must contact Family Court Services immediately after completing service to obtain instructions on special procedures.

The incarcerated parent must contact Family Court Services (“FCS”) immediately after service is completed for instructions regarding special procedures.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3906

A party must call the Office of the Court Clerk to schedule an ex parte hearing and will receive an available date from the clerk.

To schedule an ex parte hearing, a party must call the Office of the Court Clerk at (415) 551-3906. The clerk will provide the party with an available date.

The moving party must notify the court clerk when the documents are no longer needed or when the matter should be taken off calendar; failure to do so may result in sanctions.

The moving party must notify the court clerk if the documents are no longer needed or if the matter is to be taken off calendar. Failure to provide such notice may result in sanctions.

Contact

Phone

The moving party must telephone the Probate Department courtroom to obtain a hearing date and time.

The moving party must phone the Probate Department courtroom to obtain a hearing date and time.

Contact

Email

When the prevailing party appears remotely, the proposed order may be sent to the court by email.

If the prevailing party is appearing at the hearing remotely, the proposed order may be sent to the court by an email to contestasbestostr@sftc.org.

Contact

Phone

Phone

(415) 551-4000

Parties may obtain a tentative ruling by telephoning the Law and Motion and Discovery Departments or using the court website’s online services link.

Parties may obtain a tentative ruling issued by the Law and Motion and Discovery Departments by telephoning (415) 551-4000 or visiting the court’s website at https://sf.courts.ca.gov/ and clicking the online services link.

Contact

Phone to chambers

Phone

(415) 551-4000

Parties may obtain a tentative ruling from the Real Property Court by calling its published telephone number or using the court's website.

1) Parties may obtain a tentative ruling issued by the Real Property Court by telephoning (415) 551-4000 or visiting the court’s website at https://sf.courts.ca.gov/ and clicking on the online services link.

Contact

Email to clerk

Remote-appearance instructions are provided when specified family-law or child-support documents are filed, and the instructions may also be obtained by emailing the departmental clerk.

Instructions to appear remotely in family law and child support departments using the Court’s designated remote appearance platform will be provided at the time of filing a Request for Order, Notice of Motion, Responsive Declarations, or other conference notice. Instructions to appear remotely may also be obtained by emailing the departmental clerk.

Parties should ask the hearing-department clerk whether electronic judicial-notice copies on media such as a thumb drive may replace hard copies.

Parties should contact the clerk of the department in which the matter will be heard to determine whether the Court will accept an electronic copy on media such as a thumb-drive in lieu of hard copies.

The Clerk provides hearing dates when a petition is filed, and hearing dates are not available by telephone.

Hearing dates are obtained at the time of the filing of a petition to the Clerk of the Court. Hearing dates are not given by telephone.

Contact

Phone

Phone

415-551-4000

Before the hearing, counsel or parties may call the tentative-rulings line or visit the court website to check whether a probate matter was approved, continued, or placed on the appearance calendar.

Counsel or parties may telephone the tentative rulings line (415-551-4000) or visit the Court’s website (https://sf.courts.ca.gov/)prior to the hearing to determine whether a matter has been approved, continued, or placed on the appearance calendar.

Contact

Phone

Phone

(415) 551-4000

Parties may obtain an Asbestos Department tentative ruling by telephoning (415) 551-4000.

Parties may obtain a tentative ruling issued by the Asbestos Department by telephoning (415) 551-4000

Contact

Email to clerk

Questions about pending or rejected electronic filings should be emailed to the Civil Clerk's E-Filing Division, which reviews and accepts or rejects e-filing transactions.

Questions regarding pending or rejected e-filing transactions should be directed to the Civil Clerk’s Office’s E-Filing Division at SFefiling@sftc.org as that is the division that directly reviews and either accepts or rejects all e-filing transactions.

Contact

Email

Contact the Civil Case Management unit by email with the case number, case name, any FSX/COURT transaction number, and the request.

If you need to contact the Civil Case Management unit, please email department610@sftc.org with your case number, case name, FSX/COURT Transaction number (if any) and request.

Contact

Email

Email the Default Unit at default-judgments@sftc.org and include the case number, case name, judgment type, any FSX/COURT Efiling transaction number, and the request in the email body.

Email: default-judgments@sftc.org if you need to contact the Default unit. Include the case number, case name, Judgment type, FSX/COURT Efiling transaction number (if any) and your request in the body of the email.

Contact

Email

After the hearing is scheduled, the filer may email Department 505 directly at Department505@sftc.org.

After your hearing is scheduled, you may email the department directly at Department505@sftc.org.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-4000

The listed telephone number may be used to obtain the status of calendared matters and information recordings.

the status of calendared matters and the information recordings: 415-551-4000.

Contact

Email

Parties may request a settlement conference by emailing the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at adrcoordinator@sftc.org.

Parties may also request a settlement conference by contacting the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at adrcoordinator@sftc.org

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

(415) 551-3637

Starting at 2:00 p.m. on the preceding court day, parties may obtain tentative rulings online, by telephone at (415) 551-3637, or by emailing the courtroom clerk, but confidential matters are not posted online and must be obtained by telephone.

Parties may obtain tentative rulings beginning at 2:00 p.m. on the court day preceding the scheduled hearing by visiting the court’s website at http://webapps.sftc.org/ufctr/ufctr.dll, by calling (415) 551-3637, or by emailing the courtroom clerk. Family law cases that are designated as confidential by California law will not be posted online. Tentative rulings in those matters may be obtained by telephone from Court staff at (415) 551-3637.

Contact

Email to clerk

Parties may obtain remote-appearance instructions by emailing the departmental clerk.

Instructions to appear remotely may also be obtained by emailing the departmental clerk.

Contact

Phone to clerk

When an earlier Mandatory Settlement Conference date becomes available, the clerk will call the requesting party one week before that date.

If an earlier date becomes available, the clerk will call the party on Friday, one week before the available date.

Parties should ask the hearing department’s clerk whether the court will accept an electronic judicial-notice copy instead of hard copies.

Parties should contact the clerk of the department in which the matter will be heard to determine whether the Court will accept an electronic copy on media such as a thumb-drive in lieu of hard copies.

Contact

Phone

Phone

415-551-4000

Counsel or parties may call the tentative rulings line or visit the court website before a hearing to check the matter's status.

Counsel or parties may telephone the tentative rulings line (415-551-4000) or visit the Court’s website (https://sf.courts.ca.gov/)prior to the hearing to determine whether a matter has been approved, continued, or placed on the appearance calendar.

Contact

Phone

Phone

415-551-3702

The Probate Department courtroom may be called at 415-551-3702 to obtain a hearing date and time.

The moving party must phone the Probate Department courtroom at 415-551-3702 to obtain a hearing date and time.

Contact

Phone

Phone

415-551-4000

Parties may obtain a Probate Department tentative ruling by telephoning 415-551-4000 or visiting the Court's website.

Parties may obtain a tentative ruling issued by the Probate Department by telephoning 415-551-4000 or visiting the Court’s website (https://sf.courts.ca.gov/).

Contact

Email

During a deposition dispute, parties may request judicial assistance by email or telephone and should continue the deposition while awaiting a response.

If a dispute arises during a deposition, the parties may contact the court via the Dept. 613 email: Department613ComplexLit@sftc.org or telephone number: 415-551-3840 to request judicial assistance. The parties should continue the deposition while awaiting a response.

Contact

Phone

Phone

(415) 551-4000

Parties may obtain a Real Property Court tentative ruling by calling the listed telephone number or using the court website’s online services link.

1) Parties may obtain a tentative ruling issued by the Real Property Court by telephoning (415) 551-4000 or visiting the court’s website at https://sf.courts.ca.gov/ and clicking on the online services link.

Contact

Email to clerk

Remote-appearance instructions may be obtained by email from the departmental clerk.

Instructions to appear remotely may also be obtained by emailing the departmental clerk.

Contact

Phone to clerk

Phone

415-551-4000

The Probate Department provides the status of calendared matters and information recordings by telephone at 415-551-4000.

the status of calendared matters and the information recordings: 415-551-4000.

Contact

Phone

Phone

415-551-4000

Before the hearing, counsel or parties may call the tentative-rulings line or check the court website to determine whether a matter was approved, continued, or placed on the appearance calendar.

Counsel or parties may telephone the tentative rulings line (415-551-4000) or visit the Court’s website (https://sf.courts.ca.gov/) prior to the hearing to determine whether a matter has been approved, continued, or placed on the appearance calendar.