What does motion to compel mean in family court?
Asked by: Lavina Paucek | Last update: November 18, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (44 votes)
A motion to compel asks the court to order the opposing party to respond to discovery by a certain date. These motions are typically acts of last resort, which you should save for when your opponent fails to respond to any of your requests.
How serious is a motion to compel?
In the legal discovery process, a motion to compel plays a pivotal role when one party fails or refuses to comply with discovery requests from the opposing side. It is a formal legal request made to the court by the aggrieved party seeking enforcement of discovery obligations.
What is a motion to compel for child custody?
A motion to compel normally involves a request to the court that it enter an order compelling the opposing party to do something, often to comply with a discovery request previously made by the moving party.
How do you win a motion to compel?
- Act in good Faith.
- Thorough Knowledge of the Case.
- Limit citing voluminous authorities.
- Avoid Personal Attacks.
What happens if someone ignores a motion to compel?
If a party or party's officer, director, or managing agent fails to obey a discovery order, the court may issue further orders. A court must also order a disobedient party, the advising attorney, or both to pay expenses resulting from the failure to reply.
The truth about Motions to Compel
How long does a motion to compel take?
It depends if there was a hearing or not on your motion to compel. If there was not a hearing, you can expect an order on the motion generally within 30 days, depending on how busy the judge's desk is.
What consequences can result from a refusal to cooperate with an order compelling discovery?
(b) Failure to Comply with a Court Order. (1) Sanctions Sought in the District Where the Deposition Is Taken. If the court where the discovery is taken orders a deponent to be sworn or to answer a question and the deponent fails to obey, the failure may be treated as contempt of court.
What is a motion to compel settlement?
One of the most common practices to enforce a settlement agreement is to file a motion to enforce settlement agreement in court. This motion calls on the court to enforce the agreed upon terms, and the judge has the final say. His or her role is to analyze evidence presented and listen to oral testimony by both sides.
How long does it take to get a motion of discovery?
How Long Does it Take to Get Discovery in a Criminal Case? Generally, the prosecution must provide discovery within a set period after the defense's formal request, often ranging from a few weeks to several months.
What is the compel process?
A motion to compel is a formal request made by one party in a legal case to the court, seeking an order that the opposing party must provide certain information or take specific actions within a specified timeframe.
What is the deadline for motion to compel if no response?
Note: No Meet and Confer or Separate Statement Required When No Responses Given. [CCP 2031.320(a); CRC 3.1345(b)]. Deadline 45 days: Motion to Compel must be filed within 45 days from insufficient response [See Above].
How far back does Divorce discovery go?
A: The discovery process is adaptable to the needs of spouses in a divorce and will require any relevant information. Generally, this is financial, asset, and debt information from the last three to five years.
Does a motion to compel require a separate statement?
All discovery motions should include a notice of motion and motion. In addition, motions to compel further responses must include a separate statement and meet and confer declaration.
What is a motion to dismiss?
A motion to dismiss is a formal request by a party to the court to dismiss a case. This pretrial motion is often filed before a criminal or civil case begins. Often, the defendant files this type of motion shortly after receiving the complaint and before engaging in further legal proceedings.
Is a motion to compel a subpoena?
A motion to compel is the method by which a subpoenaing party may compel production, if the reporter refuses to comply with the demands of the subpoena.
What does a motion to compel do?
The motion to compel is used to ask the court to order the non-complying party to produce the documentation or information requested, and/or to sanction the non-complying party for their failure to comply with the discovery requests.
How do judges decide who is telling the truth?
The standard credibility instruction tells the fact-finder to consider the witness's strength of memory,ability in the described circumstances to see and hear,and the clarity with which he is able to recall events. Tone of voice,shades of expression,and gestures are also to be considered.
Can you talk to a prosecutor before court?
While there is no law preventing a defendant from communicating with the prosecutor, doing so is highly discouraged. Prosecutors are not a defendant's personal attorney. Their priority is to prosecute, not to help you.
What happens if a motion to compel is denied?
What Happens if the Motion is Denied? If the court denies your motion to compel discovery, the opposing party is not obligated to provide the requested materials. Your attorney must either accept this decision or appeal it and continue pursuing the material through other legal channels.
How do you fight a motion to compel?
The answering or objecting party may file a response to the motion to compel. The response must contain adequate justification for that party's objections, or argument showing why the party's answers to the discovery requests at issue were sufficient.
What to do when someone doesn't honor a settlement agreement?
Sue for Breach of Settlement Agreement
You might also consider an additional claim for Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing. This claim would apply in cases where a party to the settlement made the agreement knowing they would not be able to fulfill their part of the agreement.
What happens if someone doesn't respond to discovery?
If the other person does not respond, or their response is still incomplete, you can ask the court to order them to respond. You have 45 days from the service of the most recent responses to ask the court to make an order requiring an answer. If the response was served by mail, 5 extra days are added.
What happens if defendant lies in discovery?
When the truth is discovered, the judge may impose a fine, assign additional litigation costs, or dismiss the case entirely if it was brought by the party who provided false information.
What happens if you don't provide discovery?
The other party might not respond, or s/he could file a “motion to compel discovery.” A motion to compel discovery is a written request to the judge in which the party seeking discovery asks the judge to issue an order requiring that the other party turns over the requested documents by a certain date or face certain ...