Rule 100A of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect on November 1, 2023.
It provides that all domestic relations cases except those initiated by the Office of Recovery Services (“ORS”) be set for a case management conference after an Answer is filed.
The case management conference is usually conducted via videoconference by the Commissioner assigned to the case.
There are three basic tracks for family law cases:
1) Standard track, where there are anticipated to be no expert witnesses or complex discovery issues
.
2) Complex discovery track, where there are anticipated to be complex discovery issues, such as the valuation of a business.
3) Significant Custody Dispute Track. This is for cases with significant custody disputes, such as child abuse or domestic violence.
Attorneys are required to participate in the case management conference and it is highly recommended that the parties attend as well.
This helps everyone be on the same page with respect to moving the case along towards resolution in the most efficient way possible.
At the conference, the Court will confer with counsel and set certain deadlines to make sure the case moves along expeditiously. For example, the Court will set deadlines for completing things like mediations, fact discovery, expert discovery if necessary, etc. The Court may even set a pre-trial date.
It is a way to manage the Court’s docket and ensure that cases are moving along at a reasonable pace and not lingering on the docket like a languid lackadaisical loitering laggard of a lawsuit.
This material should not be construed as legal advice for any particular fact situation, but is intended for general informational purposes only. For advice specific to any individual situation, an experienced attorney should be contacted.