Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.544 · Article 4. Pretrial and Trial Rules for Complex Coordinated Actions
Add-on cases
Text — As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
(a) Request to coordinate add-on case
A request to coordinate an add-on case must comply with the requirements of rules 3.520 through 3.523, except that the request must be submitted to the coordination trial judge under Code of Civil Procedure section 404.4, with proof of service of one copy on the Chair of the Judicial Council and proof of service as required by rule 3.510.
(b) Opposition to request to coordinate an add-on case
Within 10 days after the service of a request, any party may serve and submit a notice of opposition to the request. Thereafter, within 15 days after submitting a notice of opposition, the party must serve and submit a memorandum and declarations in opposition to the request. Failure to serve and submit a memorandum and declarations in opposition may be a ground for granting the request to coordinate an add-on case.
(c) Hearing on request to coordinate an add-on case
The coordination trial judge may order a hearing on a request to coordinate an add-on case under rules 3.527 and 3.528 and may allow the parties to serve and submit additional written materials in support of or opposition to the request. In deciding the request to coordinate, the court must consider the relative development of the actions and the work product of counsel, in addition to any other relevant matter. An application for an order staying the add-on case must be made to the coordination trial judge under rule 3.515.
(d) Order on request to coordinate an add-on case
If no party has filed a notice of opposition within the time required under (b), the coordination trial judge may enter an order granting or denying the request without a hearing. An order granting or denying a request to coordinate an add-on case must be prepared and served under rule 3.529, and an order granting such request automatically stays all further proceedings in the add-on case under rule 3.529.
Notes and commentary — not rule text
History
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2016; previously amended effective January 1, 2005, and January 1, 2007.)
(Subd (b) amended and lettered effective January 1, 2005; adopted as part of subd (a).)
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2007; adopted as subd (b); previously amended and relettered effective January 1, 2005.)
(Subd (d) amended effective January 1, 2007; adopted as subd (c); previously amended and relettered effective January 1, 2005.)
Rule 3.544 amended effective January 1, 2016; adopted as rule 1544 effective January 1, 1974; previously amended effective January 1, 2005; previously amended and renumbered as rule 3.544 effective January 1, 2007.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As posted by the Judicial Council of California (read October 22, 2026)
- Official file
- https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_544
- Text hash
- sha256 045084ff230f5a07890d3f6ad89a2b5a72b1456140f0ecc271ce841bdfac655e
- Composed by
- compose_crc.py 2026-10-22: the Judicial Council's rule pages read paragraph by paragraph; verify_crc.py's second reading of the Council's per-title PDFs finds every paragraph
This rule cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Civil Procedure
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.510Service of papersPrinted as rule 3.510
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.515Motions and orders for a stayPrinted as rule 3.515
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.520Motions filed in the trial courtPrinted as rules 3.520 through 3.523
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.523Service of notice of submission on partyPrinted as rules 3.520 through 3.523
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.527Notice of hearing on petition for coordinationPrinted as rules 3.527 and 3.528
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.528Separate hearing on certain coordination issuesPrinted as rules 3.527 and 3.528
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.529Order granting or denying coordinationPrinted as rule 3.529
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.544. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.