Benton and Franklin Counties Superior Court Electronic Filing Rules

CRITICAL

Applies to

Witness list

Witness lists must be filed, served, and uploaded to eMotion at the same time and under the same deadlines as the Note for Docket and briefing.

The witness list shall be filed, served, and uploaded to eMotion at the same time and under the same deadlines applicable to the Note for Docket and briefing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Trial management report

The Trial Management Report must be filed with the Court and uploaded to eMotion.

The Report shall be filed with the Court and uploaded to eMotion.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Read first lmr 2

Motion confirmation requires completing and filing a “Read First” LMR 2 on eMotion.

“Confirmed” means completing and filing on eMotion a “Read First” LMR 2.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Agreed final order and default final order

Agreed and default final orders must be submitted on paper with the required coversheet; final orders uploaded to eMotion will not be accepted for printing by the Judicial Officer.

Agreed final orders and default orders must be submitted to the Court Administration office in paper form only, accompanied by the early mentioned required Final Order Submission Coversheet. 1. Printing Required. Final Orders submitted through eMotion that require printing by the Judicial Officer will not be accepted. Judicial Officers will not print agreed final orders or default orders uploaded to eMotion for the parties.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Grievance and related documentation

A grievance and related documentation, including a decision, must not be filed in the court case file.

Neither the grievance nor any documentation related to the grievance, including any decision on the grievance, shall be filed in the court case file.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Bench copies and proposed orders

All bench copies and proposed orders must be uploaded through eMotion unless the preassigned judicial officer orders otherwise.

Whether the case is assigned to a Benton/Franklin Counties Superior Court judicial officer or an out of county Superior Court judicial officer, all bench copies and proposed orders must be uploaded through eMotion unless otherwise ordered by the preassigned judicial officer.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Assets and debts list

The assets-and-debts list must be uploaded to eMotion, unless the party cannot use eMotion, in which case it may be delivered to the Court Administration office.

If distribution of assets and/or debts is an issue, each party shall, no less than two (2) days before trial, serve the other party and upload to eMotion (or delivery to the Court Administration office if the party is unable to use eMotion), a list of assets and debts known to the party and that party’s good faith position as to the fair market value of each. The parties shall also designate the asset or debt as community property or separate property and shall state their position as to what they believe the final distribution of the assets and/or debts should be.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Trial priority readiness status hearing form

The Trial Priority/Readiness Status Hearing Form must be filed and uploaded to eMotion.

3. Status Hearing Form. Each attorney and each self-represented party must file and upload (to eMotion) a Trial Priority/Readiness Status Hearing Form.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Bench copy

When a hearing is continued, parties must amend the hearing date in jMotion for all electronically submitted bench copies.

When hearings are continued, it is the responsibility of the parties to amend the hearing date in jMotion associated with all bench copies submitted electronically.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Proposed order

Submitting proposed orders under this rule does not replace the parties’ obligations to serve them on opposing parties and upload them to eMotion.

Submission under this rule does not satisfy the party’s obligation to: a. Serve Proposed Orders on opposing parties, or b. Upload Proposed Orders to eMotion.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ex parte motions and proposed orders

For out-of-county pre-assigned cases, ex parte motions and proposed orders must be uploaded to eMotion and immediately emailed to the specified address, with urgency indicated in the subject line when applicable.

For out of county pre-assigned cases, ex parte motions and proposed orders must be uploaded to eMotion and immediately emailed to : specialsets@co.benton.wa.us. Indicate urgency in the email subject line when applicable.

WARNING

Applies to

Position statement

Position statements may be submitted to the Judicial Assistant or through eMotion, but must not be filed in the court file.

The Parties shall submit with the Judicial Assistant (or eMotion) and serve/exchange their position statement, three (3) days prior to the settlement conference. Position statements shall not be filed in the court file.

INFO

Applies to

Grievance

Electronic submission of a grievance is allowed when permitted by Superior Court Administration.

In addition to any electronic submission allowed by Superior Court Administration

INFO

The court waives GR 30's requirements defining “electronic signature” and accepts electronic signatures that comply with GR 30(a)(4) for filing.

As authorized by Supreme Court Order No. 25700-B-743, titled Interim Order Permitting the Continued Use of Electronic Signatures, (issued October 23, 2025), Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court waives the requirements of GR 30 defining “electronic signature.” B. Electronic signatures which comply with GR 30(a)(4) are acceptable for filing.