This is a court ordered action for the plaintiff and defendant to meet before trial. In certain jurisdictions, a pre-trial conference requires the parties to meet with a court official. Although there is no guarantee of a resolution, a pre-trial conference is scheduled to resolve disputes without having a trial.

If you were not aware of this requirement, don’t panic. This process is automatic. All your fees and documents are the same. Treat this as you would in court. The primary difference is this is looking to have the parties come to an agreement. There are no judgements. And note, the court official has some limited powers to make certain determinations.

What if you want a pre-trial conference, but your jurisdiction doesn’t require one? There is still an opportunity to meet with the defendant and negotiate. This is called mediation. The overall procession is the same, but the court authority is not present. Negotiating with a defendant can be more productive than the court process.