Practice and Procedure in Montgomery
County Court of Common Pleas
By: Wendy G. Rothstein, Esq.
Partner
610.397.6510
[email protected]
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
1
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2
What Every Attorney Needs To Know About Practicing in Montgomery County Court
of Common Pleas ............................................................................................... 2
Montgomery County – It’s Not the Federal Court System ........................................ 3
Are Briefs Required? .......................................................................................... 4
The Montgomery County Discovery Master Program – One of a Kind in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .......................................................................... 4
How Can I Get a Case Scheduled for Trial in Montgomery County? .......................... 5
Ask for a Discovery Management Conference ........................................................ 5
What Happens at the Pre-Trial Conference? .......................................................... 6
Have a Plan in Place When You File an Active Status Certificate in Montgomery
County, PA ........................................................................................................ 6
Center for Mediation and Arbitration .................................................................... 7
This is an update to the original e-book that I released in December 2013. This
update incorporates the recent changes implemented in Montgomery County Court of
Common Pleas by local rule and procedure as of March 31, 2016.
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
2
Introduction
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is one of the most heavily populated and wealthiest
counties in the state with booming commerce. Many attorneys from outside the area
perceive it as a difficult county to practice law. With understanding and knowledge of
the rules and procedures, you can successfully maneuver your way through Montgomery
County courts. This guide will lead the way.
To get started, your first stop needs to be the county website at www.montcopa.org.
Here are 10 reasons why you need to visit the website:
1) Review the local rules of civil, orphans court and criminal procedure;
2) Check the Court Calendar
3) Obtain addresses and telephone numbers for Judges;
4) Obtain information regarding the Judge’s staff;
5) Review and obtain civil dockets through the Prothonotary’s Office;
6) Check status of argument and trial listings;
7) Perform judgment and lien searches;
8) Obtain copies of pleadings filed in cases;
9) Access property records through Board of Assessment and Recorder of Deeds;
and
10) Access all County Departments.
What Every Attorney Needs To Know About Practicing in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
Cases filed before January 1, 2016
Montgomery County is an attorney driven system. What does that mean? It means that
the court will not hold your hand, tell you what and when to do it. The court does not
initially establish dates for completion of discovery or trial.
Before you jump off a bridge, there is hope. Because it is an attorney driven system, if
one or both attorneys want to push a case and set dates for completion of discovery or
for trial, they can do it.
There are two options. First is to request a 212 conference. You write to the court
if the other side will not agree to list the case for trial. At the conference the judge
will typically establish a date for completion of discovery and for the case to be
listed for trial.
The second is to request a discovery management conference pursuant to local rule
4019. The conference will be scheduled before one of the court-appointed Discovery
Masters. At the conference, deadlines will be set for discovery, exchange of expert
reports and for filing a trial praecipe.
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
3
Cases filed on or after January 1, 2016
Montgomery County has enacted a new Local Rule of Civil Procedure 200 entitled
Trial Readiness. Rule 200 implements a monumental change in the practice and
procedure in Montgomery County. Traditionally,
Montgomery County has been attorney driven.
Now, Montgomery County is moving to a court–
driven system.
Rule 200 divides cases into two categories,
arbitration and non-arbitration cases. In both
cases, there will be a period of time where the
case will still be attorney driven. However, the
court will intervene after nine months in an arbitration case and 18 months in a non-
arbitration case.
After nine months/arbitration cases and 18 months/non-arbitration cases, the case
will be scheduled for a case management conference before one of the six court–
appointed attorney case managers. At the case management conference, there will
be settlement discussion and then a case management deadline will be imposed, no
more than 60 additional days for arbitration cases and no more than 120 additional
days for non-arbitration cases. Then the case will automatically be placed either in the
arbitration pool or the trial pool.
As a result of the change in the rules for cases filed on or after January 1, 2016,
defense counsel now must be proactive in commencing the completing discovery.
The court will not grant extensions of the case management order that is issued, nine
months after filing the arbitration case and 18 months after the filing of the non-
arbitration case unless there are extraordinary circumstances.
Montgomery County – It’s Not The Federal Court System
To understand the procedure in Montgomery County, ignore what you know about the
federal court system. In federal court when a case is filed a judge is assigned to the
case. That judge is married to the case. They handle all aspects of the case, including
the trial. Federal court judges also handle both civil and criminal trials.
In Montgomery County, cases are handled based upon the division that a judge is
assigned. There are six divisions:
• Civil
• Criminal
• Equity
• Family
• Juvenile
• Orphans Court
Prior to March 2016, family law judges were also assigned to handle pre-trial civil
matters. That has now changed. Civil judges are now handling all civil matters. Once
a trial praeipe is filed then the case is randomly reassigned to a civil judge. It may or
may not be the same judge as the pre-trial judge.
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
4
Are Briefs Required?
There is a mandatory briefing requirement when filing or responding to the following:
1) Preliminary Objections
2) Motions For Judgment on the Pleadings
3) Motions for Summary Judgment
4) Petitions To Transfer Venue Based Upon Forum Non Conveniens
5) Petition To Open a Default Judgment
6) Petition To Open a Judgment of Non Pros
When required, briefs must be filed with the pleading or response to the pleading.
Other than the aforementioned filings a brief is not required to be filed. However, the
court will accept briefs.
The Montgomery County Discovery Master Program – One of a
Kind in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In January 1996, the Montgomery County Court of
Common Pleas Board of Judges passed Montgomery
County Local Rule 4019 – the start of the Montgomery
County Discovery Master Program. Montgomery County
was the first county, and 16 years later, it is still the only
county, with such a program.
Motions are filed with the prothonotary and forwarded
to the court administration for assignment of a rule
returnable date. Rule returnable dates are scheduled
for a Monday within 45 days. The rule returnable date
is a paper filing date and does not require that counsel appear for argument. If the
discovery motion is contested, an answer must be filed by the rule returnable date.
If an answer is filed, then argument is automatically scheduled before a discovery
master for the Friday of the same week of the rule returnable date. Note this is
automatic and you will not receive notice! If an answer is not filed then the motion is
deemed uncontested and the proposed order attached to the motion is entered by the
court.
A few things to remember regarding the Friday arguments. First, the masters review
the motion and answer prior to argument. Second, if a document is important to the
disposition of the motion then it needs to be attached to the motion or answer. Third,
with the advent of e-filing, the prothonotary no longer keeps hard copies of motions
and exhibits, and the discovery masters now only receive the pleadings without the
exhibits. If the exhibits are important to the disposition of the motion then copies of
the exhibit should be brought to the discovery argument.
There are currently nine discovery masters that have been appointed by the court.
The discovery masters hear arguments on the contested motions and only then make
written recommendations to the assigned judge. Thereafter, the judge issues an order
within seven to 10 days of the argument before the discovery master.
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
5
How Can I Get a Case Scheduled for Trial in Montgomery County?
There are four ways to schedule a
case for trial. The typical way is to
file a trial praecipe. Traditionally,
you needed all attorneys to sign the
trial praecipe. If all attorneys are in
agreement then just one attorney
needs to sign – a time saver!
The second way is to have the court
order the case be placed in the
trial pool. This happens after a 212
conference if your opposing counsel
refuses to permit you to file a trial
praecipe. First, you should contact
opposing counsel and ask them to
consent to filing the trial praecipe. In order to file a trial praecipe all discovery must
be complete. That is typically the reason why counsel reach an impasse as there is
usually one side who wants to continue with discovery. You then write to the computer
assigned pre¬trial judge requesting a 212 conference. At the conference the judge
will typically set a date when discovery is to be concluded as well as when the case
will be placed in the trial pool.
The third way is to request a discovery management conference. Pursuant to local rule
4019, such conferences can be held before a discovery master.
Now with cases filed after January 1, 2016, there is a fourth way. A civil case master
can order the case into the trial pool.
Ask for a Discovery Management Conference
A little known gem in Montgomery County is the discovery management conference.
Rule 4019(5) permits a party to request a discovery management conference before
a discovery master in civil cases in which the damages exceed the jurisdictional
limit for compulsory arbitration. A request is submitted to the assigned judge who
then recommends whether to schedule a discovery management conference before a
discovery master.
If a discovery management conference is scheduled, then the parties meet with the
discovery master to establish deadlines for the completion of discovery and exchange
of expert reports. If an agreement is reached then a proposed order is submitted to the
court based upon the agreement of the parties. If an agreement is not reached, the
discovery master recommends deadlines to the assigned judge. Whether by agreement
or recommendation of the discovery master, the court enters a discovery management
conference order.
Before making such request there are few things you should know. First, the rule only
applies to cases in excess of $50,000. Second, very few attorneys request discovery
management conferences. Therefore, judges rarely, if ever, deny a request. Finally,
discovery management conferences move the case along.
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
6
What Happens at the Pre-Trial Conference?
In January 2011, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas started conducting pre-
trial conferences.
Once the case is in the trial pool then it takes approximately four to six months for a
pre-trial conference.
Prior to the conference, pursuant to rule 212, you are required to file a pre-trial
memorandum. The content of the memo are set forth in both the state rule of civil
procedure 212.1 and Montgomery County local rule.
The pre-trial conference is scheduled before one of the six civil division judges. The
computer randomly assigns your case to that judge. The following is likely to happen
at your pre-trial conference:
• The judge will conduct a settlement conference. Thus, all parties need to be present
in person or by telephone.
• The judge will set a trial date. Thus, if you have any conflicts regarding dates you
must list them in the pre-trial memo. Otherwise, the court will not accept your
conflicts in your schedule.
• The judge will set deadlines for Voire Dire, Motions in Limine, Points for Charge,
etc. Thus, it is mandatory that trial counsel attend the conference.
• The judge will discuss any other issues likely to arise before or during trial. Thus,
come prepared be bring those issues to the judge’s attention at the conference.
In 2015 there was a change in procedure and pre-trial conferences are no longer
scheduled in cases with docket numbers of 2010 or earlier. In those cases, once a
trial praecipe has been filed the parties receive a scheduling order and are placed in a
30-day standby trial pool.
Have a Plan in Place When You File an Active Status Certificate
in Montgomery County, PA
Next time you file an active status certificate in Montgomery County Court of Common
Pleas you might get a notice for a conference before a judge or civil case master.
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration
Practice and Procedure in
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas
7
Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 230.2 was recinded and it has been re-enacted
by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court effective December 2016. The Rule permitted
the prothonotary to send a notice to terminate a case that has had inactivity for
two years or more. The notice is a form set forth in the PA Rules of Civil Procedure.
Typically, a party will file a form indicating that they intend to proceed with the case.
Unfortunately, that might be the only activity on a case until the prothonotary sends
out the next notice in two years.
Well, you might want to think twice about just filing the form in Montgomery County.
The court, led by Civil Administrator Judge Thomas DelRicci, has taken a proactive
role regarding those cases. Montgomery County by rule of judicial administration has
implemented the same procedures as rescinded Rule 230.2.
Now, the court has discretion to schedule a conference before a discovery master per
local rule 4019 (5) or a civil case manager. If scheduled, counsel will be summoned
to appear before a discovery master or civil case manager. The discovery master or
civil case manager will then set deadlines for completion of discovery, exchange of
expert reports, filings of Dispositive Motions for the case to be placed in the trial pool.
So next time you file an active status certificate, I recommend that you have a plan
in place for moving the case forward. Additionally, make sure you have a sufficient
retainer to pay for the expense of proceeding with the litigation. Otherwise, you and
your client might be in for a rude awakening.
Center for Mediation and Arbitration
The Center for Mediation and Arbitration is a program established by the Montgomery
Bar Association as an affordable alternative for dispute resolution. Montgomery
County courts in conjunction with the Bar Association have revamped their existing
mediation program to encourage all parties to utilize the center to resolve disputes in
an expeditious manner.
The center has replaced the previous Davenport Dispute Resolution Center. The
center is staffed by 13 highly qualified attorneys who currently or previously served as
discovery masters, judges and/or seasoned trial attorneys.
If you would like more information regarding the center go to the Bar Association
website at: http://www.montgomerybar.org/adr/home.htm
For more information, please contact:
Wendy G. Rothstein, Esq.
610.397.6510 | [email protected]
© 2016 Fox Rothschild LLP. All rights reserved. This publication is intended for general information purposes only. It does
not constitute legal advice. The reader should consult with knowledgeable legal counsel to determine how applicable laws
apply to specific facts and situations. This publication is based on the most current information at the time it was written.
Since it is possible that the laws or other circumstances may have changed since publication, please call us to discuss any
action you may be considering as a result of reading this publication.
The images portrayed in this e-book do not depict actual Fox Rothschild clients.
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• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• What Every Attorney
Needs To Know About
Practicing in Montgomery
County Court of Common
Pleas
• Montgomery County – It’s
Not the Federal Court
System
• Are Briefs Required?
• The Montgomery County
Discovery Master
Program – One of a Kind
in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
• How Can I Get a Case
Scheduled for Trial in
Montgomery County?
• Ask for a Discovery
Management Conference
• What Happens at the Pre-
Trial Conference?
• Have a Plan in Place
When You File an Active
Status Certificate in
Montgomery County, PA
• Center for Mediation and
Arbitration