What is a pretrial conference in a divorce case?

What is a pretrial conference in a divorce case?

In contested divorce proceedings, a Court will typically assign a case for a pretrial conference after all discovery has been completed and prior to assigning that case for trial. A pretrial conference is a Court-mandated settlement meeting which occurs at the courthouse with a judge or special master.

What takes place at a pretrial conference?

At the conference, the judge and the lawyers can review the evidence and clarify the issues in dispute. If a case hasn’t been settled, many courts set a time for an issue conference. The lawyers usually appear at this hearing before a judge without their clients and try to agree on undisputed facts or points of law.

How do I prepare for a divorce settlement conference?

How to Survive a Divorce Settlement MeetingCommunicate with your attorney beforehand. We personally find these pre-four-way meetings essential, and try to avoid going into a four-way meeting without having a private meeting first. Be effective. Be respectful. Listen. Think outside of the box. Think about the other side.

What can I expect at a divorce status conference?

Status Conference: A status conference allows the parties to update the court on what has occurred following the filing or the parties’ last appearance in court. The court will learn about any agreements that are in place as well as any concerns that cannot be agreed upon.

Are divorce settlements final?

In most cases, when two spouses reach an agreement on the division of property, it ultimately becomes part of the final divorce decree. But there’s no guarantee that the judge in your case is going to accept the property split proposed by you both. That’s because the judge has the final say on the terms of the divorce.