Grays Harbor County Superior Court

		
		
                                                   RULE 16.
                                   PRETRIAL PROCEDURE AND FORMULATING ISSUES


    (b)  Pretrial Order.

    (1)  Settlement Conference.  The Court may order a settlement conference in any family law case on its own
motion or on the motion of a party.  The motion of a party for a settlement conference shall be noted on the family
law motion calendar.  If a settlement conference is ordered, all parties and their attorneys, if any, shall attend
personally unless excused by the settlement Judge and all persons in attendance shall be prepared to discuss in
detail and in good faith the issues of fact and law remaining, the evidence pertaining to the issues, and the
respective positions of the parties on settlement.  Settlement conference proceedings shall be privileged and not
recorded.  If a settlement is not reached, the settlement Judge shall not make any subsequent rulings or preside
at that trial on the merits without consent of all parties.

    (2)  Pretrial Conference.  In all family law cases, the Court Administrator will schedule a pretrial conference
on the family law motion calendar the week before the week the case is scheduled for trial.  Prior to the pretrial
conference, if the parties have not agreed on the division of the parties' assets and liabilities, each party shall,
utilizing a format consistent with that set forth in Form 2 located in the Appendix to these Rules, file and
exchange a document setting forth that party's proposed allocation and the estimated values of the items before
the Court for division. The attorneys and/or parties shall attend the pretrial conference to discuss the status
of the case and readiness for trial.

    (A)  Pretrial Statement.  In any contested family law action in which property division, the parenting plan,
spousal maintenance, or child support is at issue, each party shall serve on the other party and file with the
Court a written summary setting forth a brief statement of the issues in dispute and a brief statement of the
party's proposed resolution of the issues.
     	
    Unless otherwise excused by the Court, each party's pretrial statement must be served and filed no later than
the day of pretrial conference or settlement conference, whichever occurs first, unless otherwise ordered by the
Court.  Failure to timely serve and file the pretrial statement as required may result in sanctions.