A pretrial conference, sometimes also called a "pretrial hearing" or a "scheduling conference" is a scheduling meeting, usually between the attorneys and the Court.
In may local counties, only the Attorneys must attend, check with your attorney if you need to attend if you're not sure. You are, of course, always welcome to attend, but this hearing is usually pretty uneventful.
This hearing will involve the hearing official asking what issues are still contested in your case, this can include parenting time, custody, child support, spousal support, property division, retirement accounts, etc.
The Court will also usually assign a mediator to the case. You will not get mediation dates at this hearing, those are usually scheduled directly with the mediator after the fact. Almost all domestic cases are required to attempt mediation (see separate article on what to expect here).
The Court will also usually assign a final settlement conference date and a trial date. If you resolve your case before either of these dates, these future hearings can usually be cancelled before they happen.
This pretrial is just one step along the way to resolving your case.
Attorney Allison Greenlee Korr handles cases in the counties of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, St. Joseph and Van Buren, call today for a consultation. 269-381-4471
