Under the Case Management Program (CMP), all cases are scheduled for a Case Management Conference approximately six months after filing. You are required to file a Case Management Statement (CM-110) no later than 15 calendar days before your Case Management Conference. This guide shows how to complete that form.
Different counties have different local practices. In Sacramento, the Case Management Program only applies to unlimited civil cases (amount demanded exceeds $35,000). Check your local county court to determine whether your case is required to follow the CMP rules.
There is no fee for filing a Case Management Statement.
In Sacramento: Limited civil cases (amount demanded is $35,000 or less) are excluded from the Sacramento County Superior Court’s Civil Case Management program. Sacramento County Local Rule 2.21. See our guide on completing the Limited Civil Case Status Memorandum for more information on that process.
In other counties: check your county’s local rules to see if you are required to participate in the Case Management Program.
When is the Case Management Conference? The Court usually sets the Case Management Conference date when the case is filed and provides the plaintiff with a Notice of Case Assignment and Case Management Conference. The plaintiff is required to serve this on all defendants along with the Complaint. (At the time of this update, the first Case Management Conference in new cases is being scheduled for 11 months after the case is filed because the court is significantly backlogged.)
If you are a defendant and did not receive the Notice, check the court’s Case Portal. The Notice of Case Assignment and Case Management Conference will be one of the earliest documents in the “Document Download” list. You can download that, and any other documents, for free.
The Court may call for more than one Case Management Conference during the course of a lawsuit.
Where is the Case Management Conference? In Sacramento, specific departments hold the Case Management Conference (currently Departments 38 and 43). These procedures and departments change from time to time. For current information, check the court’s Case Management Program web page.
In Sacramento, parties are permitted to attend remotely via Zoom or telephone, unless the court orders you to appear in person. In other counties, check your local court to determine where the conference is held and whether and how you can appear remotely.
What happens at a Case Management Conference? The conference is related to status and scheduling. For instance, whether all parties have been served and answered, what discovery is needed, and when the parties will be ready for trial. No other matters will be discussed. Motions related to other matters are usually filed and heard in the Law and Motion department.
Free Video: Completing Your Case Management Statement. This guide goes into detail about how to answer the different questions, such as questions about whether you request a jury trial, what the different options for Alternative Dispute Resolution are, and how to estimate the length of trial you expect.
Tentative Rulings: Your conference may be canceled. If the Case Management Statements show that the case is progressing normally, the judge usually cancels the in-person hearing. The Court publishes tentative Case Management Orders the court day before the scheduled Case Management Conference, which may state that the conference is not necessary and is canceled.
Access these Tentative Rulings on the Court’s website at after 2:00 p.m. the court day before the Case Management Conference to determine if you need to make an appearance. Search for your case, then view the documents in the case to read the tentative ruling.