Officially, the San Diego County Courts have been closed to the public until April 30, 2020. During this closure, only the following emergency hearings will be heard: (1) ex parte requests for domestic violence temporary restraining orders, (2) requests to renew restraining orders that are expiring, (3) ex parte requests for emergency orders for all types of family matters, and (4) emergency surrogacy order requests. That means unless there is an emergency, the remainder of filings will need to wait until Courts re-open.
Furthermore, any pleadings or filings that were mailed to the Courts, since their closure, have not yet been filed. They have essentially been put in a queue, to be filed once the Courts reopen. What this means is that we will need to continue to be patient with the Courts because once they re-open, they will be backlogged. Courts are currently strategizing how to continue functioning during the pandemic and when updates are provided, we, at Cage and Miles, will inform you!
There has been widespread anticipation that the economy will begin re-opening nationwide. There are still quite a few unknowns with what the next steps may be. Below are steps and actions that the San Diego Courts are considering:
(1) Expecting court closures to remain through May 22, 2020;
(2) When courts re-open, it would be considered a soft opening;
(3) When courts re-open, domestic violence and custody cases will probably take priority over cases such as property and support cases; and
(4) Family law hearings may begin with virtual hearings, through Microsoft Teams.
Thankfully, we at Cage & Miles are experienced in Microsoft Teams and understand the ins and outs of the application. We have already been utilizing secured technology to further along our current client’s cases, despite the Court closures. All lawyers, paralegals, and staff are working hard to stay on-top of all recent developments within the Family Law community to further the interests of our clients. Once we know any further developments regarding the San Diego County Courts, we will make sure to inform you. Give us a call today so we can help you!
