Rule 6.200. PRETRIAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES

PRETRIAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES (1) Each judicial district may adopt an SLR 6.012, or an SLR in chapter 12 if that chapter is dedicated to alternative dispute resolution, providing for a uniform pretrial settlement conference procedure for use in all circuit court civil cases, including dissolution of marriage and post-judgment modification proceedings. The SLR shall be designed to most effectively meet the needs of the judges, attorneys, and litigants in each district and to promote early pretrial settlements. UTCR 8/1/2025 6.11 (including out-of-cycle amendments to UTCR 6.050, 6.080, and 6.120) (2) Each SLR under this section, if adopted, should include the following provisions: (a) If one party requests a pretrial settlement conference, the settlement conference must be held and must be conducted according to the procedure set forth in the SLR. However, the pretrial settlement conference will not be required if the opposing party demonstrates good cause why the settlement conference should not be held. (b) Each party or representative of a corporation or insurance company who has full authority to settle and compromise the litigation must personally appear at the pretrial settlement conference; however, the judge may permit telephone appearances for good cause. (c) Each settlement conference shall be scheduled to allow adequate time for meaningful settlement discussions. Additional settlement conferences may be scheduled by the judge or by agreement of all attorneys and parties. (d) The pretrial settlement conferences shall not delay the trial scheduling. (3) Each SLR under this UTCR section, if adopted, should specify: (a) Whether the settlement conference judge shall be permitted to act as trial judge if the case does not settle. (b) Whether a pretrial statement or other document must be submitted to the judge prior to the pretrial settlement conference, when it should be submitted, and whether it should be confidential or nonconfidential. (c) Whether and under what circumstances materials or notes prepared by the pretrial settlement judge may be placed in the trial court file in the event that the case does not settle. (d) The methods for reporting settlement and removing the case from the active trial docket. (e) Whether a trial-setting conference shall be held prior to the pretrial settlement conference. (4) SLR 6.012 is reserved for SLR adopted under this UTCR section.