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San Mateo County, CA
Every published instrument scoped to San Mateo County, newest effective date first. 0 circuit-wide and 13 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
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For the periodic reviews of conservatorships after the appointment of the conservator, the Clerk serves each conservator to be reviewed, by mail, a written notification approximately 120 days in advance of the review date; each conservator so notified promptly complies with the terms of the Notice of Review, and a conservator who fails to comply is subject to further enforcement proceedings, including contempt; the order takes effect immediately and supersedes Standing Order 05-74.
The use of laptops and electronic devices by counsel or any member of the public in a courtroom is regulated by each individual trial judge, and in no event may attorneys or the public use wireless Internet connections to record, photograph or transmit any court proceeding.
The Clerk's office enters a dismissal on all cases involving Temporary Restraining Orders (Harassment) and Petitions for Name Changes when such matters are dropped from the calendar due to a non-appearance by the petitioner or moving party.
Any attorney appointed by the court through the Private Defender Program under Welfare and Institutions Code § 326.5 to represent a child/victim in a delinquency proceeding is entitled to full discovery, access to all records and materials available to the petitioner and defense counsel, and copies as requested.
No person other than a regularly sworn peace officer may enter the Hall of Justice and Records in Redwood City, the Court Annex building, the Courts' buildings in South San Francisco, San Mateo, Juvenile Hall or any other facility used by the court carrying a dangerous weapon, concealed or unconcealed (the order defines the term); no peace officer may enter a courtroom with a firearm, other than one the officer is wearing, that has not been secured or submitted to the bailiff for securing; a knowing violation is subject to the contempt process of the court and may be punishable by five days in jail and a fine of $500.00.
Court equipment approved by the judicial officer, then reserved by e-mail at least 24 hours ahead; Zoom during a trial or hearing asked of the trial department unless the Calendar Appearance Requirement Matrix calls for Zoom; the displays and document camera (HDMI adapters not provided).
The after-hours drop box outside Room A of the Hall of Justice (documents placed in it before 4:00 p.m. deemed filed the same court day, after 4:00 p.m. the next court day; emptied at 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.); civil judgments e-filed by attorneys under Local Rule 2.1.8 (paper judgment packets refused from August 11, 2025 unless submitted by a self-represented party); unlawful detainer ex partes in Department 30 Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m.; the CMC packet.
The court's Mediator Complaint Procedures under California Rule of Court 3.865: inquiries and complaints against a panel member submitted in writing to the Court's ADR Administrator, the complaint coordinator (CRC §3.867); the confidentiality of complaint procedures and proceedings; a confidential written acknowledgment and a preliminary review; written notice to the mediator and an opportunity to respond; an investigation and a written recommendation by a complaint committee appointed by the Presiding Judge; and the final decision by the Presiding Judge or a designee.
The cities and agencies whose cases the Northern Branch (South San Francisco) and the Southern Branch (Hall of Justice, Redwood City) hear.
The court's policy for privately retained court reporting in civil and probate proceedings: its purpose (a party may arrange, at its own expense, for a court reporter when an official court reporter is not available; Government Code § 68086); availability; requesting an official court reporter (Local Court Form CV-69; fee waiver litigants); contracting a court reporter pro tempore; the pro tempore reporter's requirements (a valid, current California Certified Shorthand Reporter License; good standing with the Court Reporters Board of California); and transcripts.
The court's policy on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in court filings and documents: its introduction and scope (all individuals, represented by counsel or not, attorneys and entities submitting filings and documents who may be utilizing generative AI tools); accuracy and reliability (AI limitations; filings prepared with generative AI thoroughly reviewed and verified before submission, citations to cases independently verified; human oversight, every submission reviewed and signed by a self-represented litigant or an attorney of record); and confidentiality and security (submissions to AI platforms are not fully confidential; the court does not guarantee the security of data submitted to or processed by generative AI systems).
Department 11 (Central Court): ex partes Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. (e-filed under Local Rule 3.500) and the dates he is unavailable; communications and courtesy copies (documents over five pages in hard copy); complex law and motion Mondays at 3:00 p.m. (a date from the department, briefing complete three weeks before); informal discovery conferences (Local Rule 3.700); TSC/CMCs Thursdays at 2:00 p.m.; the pretrial orders and the standard motions in limine deemed filed and granted; pretrial conferences; trial days; proposed orders (California Rule of Court 3.1312); Zoom appearances and credentials.
Department 11's Case Management Order No. 1 for complex cases: general matters (familiarity with the Local Rules, the California Rules of Court (CRC) and the Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Litigation; the California Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism; continuances discouraged; notice of settlement); filings and correspondence (e-filing and electronic service; copies to complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org; e-mail correspondence to the department); case management conferences, conducted by the Court rather than the Civil Commissioner, with an e-mail service list and a joint statement in place of Judicial Council Form CM-110; ex parte applications; discovery (meet and confer in person or by videoconference; informal discovery conferences); law and motion (briefing schedules, courtesy copies, proposed orders under rule 3.1312, motions to seal, discovery motions without the separate statement of rule 3.1345); settlement conferences and mediations; and miscellaneous provisions (recording prohibited; court reporters).
Department 11's pretrial order for court trials: serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine and oppositions at least 21 days before; file the joint pretrial conference statement and one set of binders (witness and exhibit lists, the motions in limine and oppositions, deposition designations and objections) at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; and at least three (3) sets of trial exhibits in binders and on a thumb drive at least 14 days before the Trial Date; then motions in limine, witness lists, trial exhibits (numbered 1, 2, 3, without letters), the meet and confer, the pretrial conference statement and the Pretrial Conference.
Department 11's pretrial order for jury trials: serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine and oppositions at least 21 days before; file the joint pretrial conference statement and one set of binders (jury instructions, verdict forms, voir dire and any juror questionnaire, the statement of the case, witness and exhibit lists, the motions in limine, deposition designations) at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; and at least three (3) sets of trial exhibits in binders and on a thumb drive at least 14 days before the Trial Date; then motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, voir dire and any jury questionnaire, the proposed statement of the case, witness lists and the rest of the order's requirements.
Department 13 (the Probate Supervising Judge, Southern Court): remote hearings by Zoom and the credentials; the weekly calendar (probate, minor's compromise hearings, LPS at 11:00 a.m., assisted outpatient treatment at 11:15 a.m., probate trials); the department's rules and standard orders (linked documents).
Department 15 (Southern Court): the weekly calendar (trials and short cause, RFOs, status and trial setting, DVPA/TRO) and its Zoom credentials.
Department 17 (Southern Court): courtesy copies by e-mail; trials and short cause (exhibit lists, witness lists and trial briefs 5 court days before; five Bates-stamped sets of exhibits; remote appearance only by RA-010 and RA-020); the RFO, DVPA/TRO and fee waiver calendars; the remote appearance rules and the weekly calendar.
Department 2 (Northern Courthouse): communications and courtesy copies; the standard pretrial orders and the complex CMC order; non-complex law and motion Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. (tentative rulings under Local Rule 3.403, continuances under Local Rule 3.404(b), mandatory informal discovery conferences under Local Rule 3.700); TSC/CMCs; complex law and motion and CMCs; proposed orders; ex partes Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. (e-filed under Local Rule 3.500(c)); mandatory settlement conferences in person; pretrial conferences in person; trial continuances within 90 days under rule 3.1332; Zoom by video only.
Department 2's Case Management Order No. 1 for complex cases: general matters; filings and correspondence; case management conferences on Wednesday afternoons; ex parte applications; discovery; law and motion; settlement conferences and mediations; and the pretrial deadlines - meet and confer 21 days before the PTC; serve, but not file, motions in limine, witness lists, exhibit lists, deposition designations, jury instructions and verdict forms 5 days before the PTC; file and deliver hard copies of the joint pretrial conference statement and the binders 3 court days before the PTC; the Pretrial Conference 14 days before Trial; three (3) sets of joint trial exhibit binders and thumb drives the day of Trial - with the meet and confer and exhibit requirements.
Department 2's pretrial order for non-complex court trials (Courtroom K of the South San Francisco Courthouse, 1050 Mission Road): trial at 9:00 a.m. on trial days Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, all trial counsel in person; the Pretrial Conference with lead trial counsel in person; the Mandatory Settlement Conference; court reporters; the deadlines - meet and confer 21 days before the PTC; serve, but not file, motions in limine, witness lists, exhibit lists and deposition designations 5 days before the PTC; file and deliver hard copies of the joint pretrial conference statement, exhibit list, witness list, deposition designations and the motions in limine binder 3 court days before the PTC; the Pretrial Conference 14 days before Trial; three (3) sets of joint trial exhibit binders and thumb drives the day of Trial - and the meet and confer and exhibit list requirements.
Department 2's pretrial order for non-complex jury trials: the trial, the Pretrial Conference, the Mandatory Settlement Conference; the deadlines - meet and confer 21 days before the PTC; serve, but not file, motions in limine, witness lists, exhibit lists, deposition designations, jury instructions and verdict forms 5 days before the PTC; file and deliver hard copies of the joint pretrial conference statement and one set of binders 3 court days before the PTC; the Pretrial Conference 14 days before Trial; three (3) sets of joint trial exhibit binders and thumb drives the day of Trial - and the meet and confer and exhibit list requirements.
Department 20 (Northern Branch): dark dates; courtesy copies (documents over five pages in hard copy); ex partes Mondays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.; informal discovery conferences; law and motion Fridays at 9:00 a.m. (complex Friday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.); special-set hearings unreported; mandatory settlement conferences in person, statements two court days before; motions in limine (meet and confer, the standard motions deemed granted, no more than five contested without leave); the pretrial orders; TSC/CMCs; Zoom with a functioning camera, no public Zoom observation.
Department 20's Case Management Order No. 1 for complex cases: general matters (familiarity with the Local Rules, the California Rules of Court (CRC) and the Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Litigation; the California Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism; continuances discouraged; notice of settlement); filings and correspondence (e-filing and electronic service; copies to complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org; e-mail correspondence to the department); case management conferences, conducted by the Court rather than the Civil Commissioner, with an e-mail service list and a joint statement in place of Judicial Council Form CM-110; ex parte applications; discovery (meet and confer in person or by videoconference; informal discovery conferences); law and motion (briefing schedules, courtesy copies, proposed orders under rule 3.1312, motions to seal, discovery motions without the separate statement of rule 3.1345); settlement conferences and mediations; and miscellaneous provisions (recording prohibited; court reporters); the plaintiff serves the order on all parties not yet appeared.
Department 20's Pre-Trial Order No. 1 for court and jury trials: serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine (oppositions due 7 days later) at least 21 days before; the trial brief, the joint pretrial conference statement and one binder at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; at least four (4) sets of trial exhibits in binders and on a thumb drive at least 7 days before the Trial Date; in all Unlawful Detainer cases the pre-trial requirements due at the joint pre-trial conference and trial date; then motions in limine, witness lists, trial exhibits and the meet and confer.
Department 21 (Northern Court): courtesy copies; informal discovery conferences through the Family Law Commissioner; court trials and short-cause hearings in person absent RA-010 and RA-020; exhibit lists, witness lists and trial briefs 7 court days before; FL-23 and FL-12; four labeled, date-stamped sets of exhibits one week before; USB evidence; the RFO and DVPA/TRO calendars in person and by Zoom; the remote appearance rules and the weekly calendar.
Department 23 (Southern Court): courtesy copies by e-mail; informal discovery conferences; trials and short cause (exhibit lists, witness lists and trial briefs seven days before; FL-23; five Bates-stamped sets of exhibits five court days before trial; remote appearance only by RA-010 and RA-020); the RFO and DVPA/TRO calendars in person and by Zoom; the remote appearance rules and the weekly calendar.
Department 28 (Central Court): communications and courtesy copies; complex law and motion Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. (briefing complete three weeks before); informal discovery conferences (Local Rule 3.700); ex partes Mondays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.; TSC/CMCs Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.; the pretrial orders and conferences; trial days; proposed orders; Zoom appearances and the mandatory settlement conference credentials.
Department 28's Case Management Order No. 1 for complex cases: general matters (familiarity with the Local Rules, the California Rules of Court (CRC) and the Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Litigation; the California Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism; continuances discouraged; notice of settlement); filings and correspondence (e-filing and electronic service; copies to complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org; e-mail correspondence to the department); case management conferences, conducted by the Court rather than the Civil Commissioner, with an e-mail service list and a joint statement in place of Judicial Council Form CM-110; all discovery STAYED pending the initial Case Management Conference; ex parte applications; discovery (meet and confer in person or by videoconference; informal discovery conferences); law and motion (briefing schedules, courtesy copies, proposed orders under rule 3.1312, motions to seal, discovery motions without the separate statement of rule 3.1345); settlement conferences and mediations; and miscellaneous provisions (recording prohibited; court reporters).
Department 28's pretrial order for court trials: serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine and oppositions at least 21 days before; file the joint pretrial conference statement and one set of binders (witness and exhibit lists, the motions in limine and oppositions, deposition designations and objections) at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; and at least three (3) sets of trial exhibits in binders and on a thumb drive at least 14 days before the Trial Date; then motions in limine, witness lists, trial exhibits, the meet and confer, the pretrial conference statement and the Pretrial Conference.
Department 28's pretrial order for jury trials: serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine and oppositions at least 21 days before; file the joint pretrial conference statement and one set of binders (jury instructions, verdict forms, voir dire and any juror questionnaire, the statement of the case, witness and exhibit lists, the motions in limine, deposition designations) at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; and at least three (3) sets of trial exhibits in binders and on a thumb drive at least 14 days before the Trial Date; then motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, voir dire and any jury questionnaire, the proposed statement of the case, witness lists and the rest of the order's requirements.
Department 30 (Central Court): the weekly calendar - unlawful detainer pretrial conferences, CMC/OSC and collections CMC/OSC calendars, unlawful detainer court trials and ex partes, orders of examination, informal discovery conferences - its Zoom credentials and the dates ex partes are not heard.
Unlawful detainer court trials before the Civil Commissioner: all parties and counsel appear in person unless excused in advance for good cause; the mandatory exhibit exchange protocol (paper, or a USB flash drive (preferred), CD or DVD in PDF, JPEG or MP4 format; a photograph of a tangible object; exchange with the opposing party at least one business day before the hearing, by email copied to UDexhibits@sanmateocourt.org as the proof of service, or by hardcopy delivery; an original plus two (2) copies to the Court at least one business day before, pre-marked with numbers for the Plaintiff and letters for the Defendant; delivery to the San Mateo Central Courthouse, 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo, CA 94401, or its Drop Box); Zoom appearances with audio and video and screen sharing; a Mandatory Settlement Conference on the hearing date for parties who do not stipulate to a court trial before the Civil Commissioner; and a pre-trial conference in the department of the single assigned judge if the case does not settle.
Department 32 (Southern Court): informal discovery conferences; exhibit lists, witness lists and trial briefs seven days before; FL-23; five Bates-stamped sets of exhibits five court days before trial; the weekly calendar (DVPA/TRO, firearm relinquishment, status conferences, mandatory settlement conferences, informal discovery) and each calendar's Zoom credentials.
Department 4 (Southern Courthouse): ex partes Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. (remote appearance under Local Rule 3.500(e)) and the dates she is unavailable; reply briefs e-mailed to the law and motion reply address; complex law and motion Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. (briefing complete three weeks before); informal discovery conferences; TSC/CMCs Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.; the pretrial order; mandatory settlement conferences (Local Rule 3.1100); pretrial conferences Mondays at 2:00 p.m.; trial days; proposed orders; Zoom appearances.
Department 4's pretrial order for civil trials (the court switched to a direct calendar system for all civil cases on January 1, 2021): the summary table of deadlines - serve (but not file) proposed motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, witness lists and exhibit lists at least 42 days before the Pretrial Conference; meet and confer at least 35 days before; file and serve motions in limine and oppositions at least 21 days before; file the joint pretrial conference statement (jury instructions, verdict forms, voir dire and any juror questionnaire, the statement of the case, witness and exhibit lists, the motions in limine binders, deposition designations) at least 14 days before; the Pretrial Conference at least 14 days before the Trial Date; trial exhibits in binders and on thumb drive at least 7 days before the Trial Date - then the order's rules for each item; the Pretrial Conference is deemed the commencement of trial for all purposes; court reporters.
The procedures the parties must follow for a Zoom hearing: maintaining the decorum of the court (the typical rules on attire and on food and drink); prehearing arrangements (Zoom, the Court's designated remote platform); the prohibition on recording; the use of screen-sharing for exhibits and demonstratives, witnesses and the presentation of testimony; and technological considerations.
Judge Fineman's suggestions for cases assigned to her: an overview (efficient and practical case management; agreed procedures that differ from the rules when the law allows and the resources permit), law and motion, ex partes and trials.
The initial petition documents (GC-310, GC-313, the confidential screening and supplemental forms, PR-1, GC-325, GC-335 and the HIPAA ex parte papers), four copies two-hole punched on initial filings and three on later filings; the documents on appointment and for accountings (PR-19); temporary petitions filed with all initial documents, ex parte petitions for temporary guardianship or conservatorship granted only in Redwood City after the Court Investigator's review between 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
The initial petition documents (the consent, nomination and waiver form, PR-2, PR-18), three copies on initial filings of the person or person and estate; the documents on appointment (letters not issued until any bond is filed or the money is in a blocked account); later filings for estates and for the person (the annual confidential status report); temporary petitions as for conservatorships.
Complex Civil documents may be filed electronically, and must be upon a judicial order (Section 1010.6(b) of the Code of Civil Procedure, Rule 2.253(a), Local Rule 2.1.5); mandatory e-filing for attorneys by case type and date (Family Law and Probate, January 21, 2020; Civil, Complex Civil and Small Claims, and subsequent documents in Criminal cases, June 1, 2020; Juvenile Dependency, Adoptions and Juvenile Justice, January 1, 2022); the documents still filed in hard copy; proposed orders (rule 3.1312(c)) and the Word versions for complex and probate matters; document standards, bookmarks and text-searchable PDFs; when an e-filed document is deemed filed; outages; fees; self-represented parties may, but need not, e-file.
The filing codes for documents lodged conditionally under seal and for documents filed under seal after an order, the cover-page notations, and the confidential document types and their codes.
Civil ex partes before the assigned civil judge two days a week at 1:30 p.m. (Local Rule 3.500, e-filed under 3.500(c)); unlawful detainer ex partes in Department 30 Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m.; the Presiding Judge's ex partes (Local Rule 3.2) and civil harassment and workplace violence TROs at 2:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, papers to the courtroom clerk by 2:15 p.m.; paying ex parte fees at each courthouse; probate ex partes at 10 a.m. daily; family law ex partes; motion fees (Government Code section 70617).
Each case randomly assigned to a department on filing; the first RFO, OSC or motion set by the Family Law Clerk's Office on the department's OSC calendar, later hearings through trial set by the department; the DVPA/TRO calendar (remote or in person; the moving party's proposed order; the admonishments); the departments and the DCSS, DVPA, backup DVPA and firearm relinquishment calendars' Zoom credentials.
Zoom credentials; sign-in 15 minutes before, full names, counsel renamed for their party, video; recording prohibited (rule 1.150); interpreter requests two days before for the listed languages and seven for others; the protocols for family law status conferences and mandatory settlement conferences (remote mandatory), RFOs, DVPA/TRO hearings (the admonition), the DCSS and firearm relinquishment calendars and family law informal discovery conferences (remote mandatory).
Transfer-in hearings (dependency and delinquency) at the Youth Services Center, Monday to Thursday at 2:00 p.m., set within 5 court days (in custody) or 10 court days (out of custody) of the transfer-out order; viewing juvenile case files (Welfare and Institutions Code section 827, rule 5.552) and police reports (JV-575).
A court probationer is placed on calendar the same day by checking in at the criminal clerk's office by 9:00 a.m. (the Southern Branch, Monday to Friday; the Northern Branch, Monday to Thursday); felony court probation through the Private Defender; supervised probation through the probation officer.
Neutral Evaluation (NE) guidelines of the Multi Option ADR Project: a confidential session in which the parties and their counsel present summaries of their cases and receive a non-binding evaluation by an experienced neutral lawyer (only parties represented by counsel); referral by a Stipulation and Order to ADR; the evaluator's qualifications and compensation; the timing and scheduling of the NE session; the prohibition against ex parte communication; the telephone conference before the session; written NE statements; attendance; the components of the session; settlement discussions; and post-session evaluation forms submitted to the MAP offices within 10 days.
Decedent's estates: the petition and notice; an original will lodged before the hearing; the Order for Probate and copies submitted at least 7 days before the hearing; publication within 30 days of filing (PR-13); the forms required before letters issue (PR-5, bond if ordered); other probate case types (PR-8).
The changes in probate practice effective December 12, 2022 (temporary guardianships and conservatorships on 5 days' noticed hearings under Probate Code sections 2250-2258; ex parte criteria strictly interpreted); the Probate Court Investigator's and probate ex parte e-mail addresses.