Santa Clara Superior Court Filing Rules

Parties must prepare joint proposed jury instructions limited to CACI and verdict forms.

For children aged 10 or older, the child's attorney must inform the child of the settlement conference and trial dates and the right to attend both proceedings.

Voluntary services orders must include a further Family Court hearing date within 40-60 days for parents to present proof of compliance.

Parties must be present at judicially supervised settlement conferences, or attorneys must have full settlement authority.

The Complex Litigation Clerk (Civil Calendar Unit) serving both Departments 22 and 8 can be reached at complex@scscourt.org.

Letter briefs are not acceptable; briefs submitted for informal Court conferences must be on court pleading paper.

Dates scheduled with the Court may not be continued by stipulation of the parties without the Court's consent.

The guidelines identify the court's e-filing website as http://www.scscourt.org/forms_and_filing/efiling.shtml.

Each side's Informal Discovery Conference brief is limited to no more than 6 pages.

The Court strongly encourages parties and senior attorneys to allow junior lawyers to participate in all court proceedings, particularly in arguing motions the junior lawyer drafted or significantly contributed to.

A motion or application to seal must be heard no later than any motion relying on the materials for which sealing is sought.

Jury fees of $150.00 must be posted in advance of a jury trial.

Entire sets of written discovery documents may never be lodged with or received by the Court; only extracts are permitted.

Paper courtesy copies of documents electronically filed or lodged with the Court are prohibited unless the Court orders otherwise.