What is the timeliness of motion to compel?

Asked by: Prof. Shyanne Beatty  |  Last update: February 10, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (1 votes)

FRCP 37 does not specify a time limit within which a motion to compel must be brought, but courts have required that a party seeking to compel discovery must do so in a timely fashion.

What happens after a motion to compel is filed?

A motion to compel discovery is a request to the judge to order the prosecution to hand over evidence. If the court grants the motion, the judge will order that the appropriate materials be released on a plan of sanctions such as fines, suppression of evidence, and even a dismissal of the charges.

How long do you have to file a motion to compel in federal court?

The federal rules do not contain any time limit in which a motion to compel discovery must be filed. But you should check your court's local rules and even the judge's standing order. For instance, in the Northern District of California you must move to compel within seven days of the close of discovery.

What is the time limit for a motion to compel?

Timing: The notice of motion to compel a further response to written discovery must be served within 45 days of service of the verified response at issue or of when any verified supplemental response was served. (§ 2030.300(c)).

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.

Discovery: What is a Motion to Compel?

40 related questions found

How to calculate motion to compel deadline?

Timing
  1. 45 Days For Written Discovery – Motions to Compel may be filed 45 days after the insufficient response. ...
  2. 60 Days for Depositions – Motions to Compel deposition answers may be filed within 60 days of the completion of the deposition transcript.

What is the golden rule letter?

However, in general, the Golden Rule letter is a letter sent by one party to the other, proposing settlement terms based on what the sending party would accept if they were in the receiving party's position.

What is the cut off date for discovery?

The deadline for finishing discovery (the discovery cutoff) is 30 days before the original date set for a trial unless the parties have agreed or the court has ordered to extend the time. You need all the responses by this date.

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.

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.

Is a motion to compel bad?

When that happens, a party can file a motion to compel, asking the Court to order the opposing party to produce the contested documents or information. If a motion to compel is granted and the Court orders the information produced, failing to comply with that order can lead to serious consequences.

How long does a federal court have to rule on a motion?

As long as it takes. “Best practice” is for rulings to be issued within 60 days of the date when the motion becomes decisional, but a typical federal trial judge has about 500–600 cases on their active docket at any given time, and backlogs are common.

What is rule 47?

Motions. An application to the court for an order shall be by motion. A motion other than one made during a trial or hearing shall be in writing unless the court permits it to be made orally. It shall state the grounds upon which it is made and shall set forth the relief or order sought.

Why would a motion to compel be denied?

The declaration may also include information obtained from other parties or non-parties that would support the relevance of the discovery you seek to compel. The declaration must be filed with the notice. Failure to include the declaration will serve as a basis to deny a motion to compel further responses.

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 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.

What happens if someone doesn't respond to a motion to compel?

If a party completely fails to respond, a motion to compel may be brought at any time subject to the motion cut-off date which is 15 days before the initial trial date (Code Civ. Proc., § 2024.020.) An unverified response is the equivalent of a non-response.

How many days is a motion to compel?

Notably, for a motion to compel further discovery responses, there is a strict 45-day deadline to serve notice of motion to compel further discovery responses; as well as a strict meet and confer requirement prior to filing of the motion.

What happens when a motion to compel is granted?

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.

Can you file a motion to compel after the discovery deadline?

The Court may reject your Motion to Compel as untimely if you file it after your discovery deadline or long after you became aware of the insufficient response to your discovery request.

What is the time limit for discovery?

If you have submitted a tax return

Such discovery assessments may only be issued within six years of the end of the tax year of assessment where there has been careless behaviour, or within four years if there was no careless behaviour, but can be issued within 20 years if the behaviour was deliberate.

What is the timeline for discovery?

You must finish discovery 30 days before trial

Discovery ends 30 days before trial (the cutoff date). That means, at the very latest anything you ask for must be due 30 days before your trial. At the latest, you need to serve your requests 60 days before your trial date (65 if you serve by mail).

How to win a motion to compel?

Some of the simple tactics to follow while filing a motion to compel:
  1. Act in good Faith.
  2. Thorough Knowledge of the Case.
  3. Limit citing voluminous authorities.
  4. Avoid Personal Attacks.

What is the silver rule?

The Silver Rule is basically the “Negative” Golden Rule. Taleb writes it as follows: “Do not treat others the way you would not like them to treat you.” Stated another way: if you don't want “X” done to you, don't do “X” to someone else.

What is a good faith letter before motion to compel?

This letter is often called a good faith letter. And it is needed under many courts' rules before you can file a motion to compel discovery if the other party ignores your requests or provides evasive responses or move for sanctions if your opponent refuses to comply with the court's discovery order.