Mandatory Settlement Conference
Settlement conferences work when a lawyer with experience helps the parties find a solution.
This page tells you about:
When and how?
When you get a trial date, you’ll get a date for your Mandatory Settlement Conference.
In general, if your trial is on Monday, you’ll have your Mandatory Settlement Conference on the Wednesday before the trial. Short trials under a half day do not have Mandatory Settlement Conferences. You’ll probably have your hearing in the Court building.
A temporary judge will hear your Settlement Conference. Temporary judges (called "Pro Tems", short for pro tempore) are lawyers with a lot of experience. They volunteer to be the judges for your Settlement Conference.
A temporary judge:
- Meets with the people in the case, or their lawyers,
- Hears the facts of the case, and
- Tries to find a solution that everyone accepts.
Serve and file your statement
Everyone in the case has to file a written statement. It should say how your settlement talks are going. File it at least 5 court days before your Mandatory Settlement Conference. You have to have it served on everyone else in the case.
What to expect
Your Mandatory Settlement Conference is a time to try to settle your case. Be ready to talk seriously about how to solve your case.