A local temporary judge who is experienced in the field of family law will preside over the matter. The parties and their attorneys then meet and present the settlement judge, or “judge pro tem” with any issues which have not been resolved and attempt to settle these matters.

The case number is located in the leftmost column of the search results or in the very top header of the case information page. The case number format should be YYYY-XX-999999-A-O, where YYYY is the case year and XX is the case type.

Get ready early! ... Review all the papers that have been filed in the case, both by you and the other party. ... Review all the documents and evidence you obtained through discovery and make a summary of what you think will help you present your case or question the other side's evidence. Arrange for witness testimony:

Your server has to fill out a form called Proof of Service (SC-104) , for each person, business, or public entity served. The Proof of Service tells the court who was served, and when, where and how they were served.

The purpose of the TSC is for the judge to determine whether the case is ready for trial and to ensure that discovery is completed and that all of the disclosure documents have been exchanged (such as the final Declaration of Disclosure, which must be exchanged no less than 45 days prior to trial).

You will get a trial date when you have a hearing called a “Trial Setting Conference”. The judge wants everyone who will be trying the case to be at the hearing. This means your lawyer, if you have one. If you don't, you have to go. The judge sets a trial date for sometime in the next 90 days.

A Mandatory Settlement Conference is a key step in the trial process which allows both sides one last chance to reach a compromise outside of a court trial. If you have any questions about Mandatory Settlement Conferences or trust litigation, feel free to contact our office.