What is required in a Scheduling Statement?

Include the case caption, proposed deadlines for discovery and motions, any agreed adjustments, and signatures. Follow local rules and the judge’s standing orders for required content and formatting.

Must the statement be joint or can one party submit it?

Many courts expect a joint report after the Rule 26(f) conference; if parties cannot agree, one party may file a unilateral proposal and note disputes for the court’s decision.

Can a Scheduling Statement be signed electronically and filed?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Confirm the court’s eFiling and document-format requirements before submission.

How do you change dates after the court adopts the schedule?

Request a modification by motion demonstrating good cause or consent of the other parties; courts typically require a showing of schedule conflict or new circumstances.

What if a deadline is missed accidentally?

Notify the court promptly, seek relief by motion, and explain the reason. Missed deadlines can result in exclusion of evidence or denied motions if not timely cured.

Are notarization or witnesses required for Scheduling Statements?

No. Scheduling Statements are administrative filings and typically do not require notarization or witnesses. Follow any local rule exceptions and confirm with the clerk if uncertain.

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Scheduling Statement

Scheduling Statement

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Scheduling Statement

State of Minnesota

County

Judicial District:

Court File Number:

Case Type:

In Re the Marriage of:

In Re the Custody of:

Petitioner

and

Respondent

Scheduling Statement

(Both Parties represented by counsel)

Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 304.02

1. All parties have been served with process.

Yes No

2. All parties have joined in the filing of this form.

Yes No

3. The parties are in agreement on all matters and this case will proceed by default.

(Applies only to Dissolution matters)

Yes No

If you answered yes to the preceding question, please check all of the following that apply:

Default hearing by General Rules of Practice, Rule 306.

Marriage includes minor children

Approval without a hearing pursuant to Minn. Stat. section 518.13, subd. 5 (2006).

The marriage includes joint children, each party is represented by a lawyer and each party has signed a stipulation.

The marriage does not include joint children and each party has signed a stipulation.

The marriage does not include joint children, at least 50 days have passed since service of the Summons and Petition, and the Respondent has not appeared in the action.

4. The case involves the following (check all that apply and supply estimates where indicated):

a. Joint Children No Yes number Age(s)

b. Custody Dispute No Yes Specify:

c. Parenting Time Dispute No Yes Specify:

Each party will submit an exhibit outlining custody and parenting proposals for each child.

d. Marital Property No Yes

Identify the asset and the requested disposition:

e. Nonmarital Property No Yes

Each party shall identify any nonmarital claims, their respective positions for the basis for the claim, the method(s) used to arrive at the claimed amount or trace the claim and requested disposition:

f. Complex Evaluation Issues No Yes

5. It is estimated that the discovery specified below can be completed within months from the date of this form. (Check all that apply and supply estimates where indicated.)

a. Factual Depositions No Yes

Identify the person who will be deposed by either party:

b. Medical / Vocational Evaluations No Yes

Identify the person who will conduct such evaluations for either party:

c. Experts No Yes

Identify any experts for either party:

6. The dates and deadlines specified below are suggested.

a. Deadline for bringing motion regarding:

b. Deadline for completion and review of property evaluation.

c. Deadline for completion and review of custody / parenting time mediation.

d. Deadline for completion and review of custody / parenting time evaluation.

e. Deadline for submitting to the court.

f. Date for pretrial conference.

g. Date for trial or final hearing.

7. Estimated trial or final hearing time: days hours (estimates less than a day must be stated in hours).

8. a. MEETING: Counsel for the parties met on (date) to discuss case management issues.

b. ADR PROCESS: (check one):

Counsel agree that ADR is appropriate and choose the following:

Mediation

Arbitration (non-binding)

Arbitration (binding)

Mediation - Arbitration

Early Neutral Evaluation

Moderated Settlement Conference

Mini-Trial

Summary Jury Trial

Consensual Special Magistrate

Impartial Fact-Finder

Other (describe)

Counsel agree that ADR is appropriate but request that the court select the process

Counsel agree that ADR is NOT appropriate because:

the case implicates the federal or state constitution

other (explain with particularity)

domestic violence has occurred between the parties

c. PROVIDER (check one):

The parties have selected the following ADR neutral:

The parties cannot agree on an ADR neutral and request the court to appoint one.

The parties agreed to select an ADR neutral on or before:

d. DEADLINE: The parties recommend that the ADR process be completed by

9. Please identify any party or witness who will require interpreter services, and describe the services (specifying language and, if known, particular dialect) needed.

10. Please list any additional information which might be helpful to the court when scheduling this matter, including any difficult or complex matters that will affect readiness for final hearing or trial and any issues that significantly affect the welfare of the children:

Signed:

Lawyer for Petitioner

Attorney Reg. #:

Firm:

Address:

Telephone:

E-mail address:

Date:

Signed:

Lawyer for Respondent

Attorney Reg. #:

Firm:

Address:

Telephone:

E-mail address:

Date:

What a Scheduling Statement Is and when it's used

A Scheduling Statement is a court filing that sets or proposes the litigation timeline: discovery deadlines, motion cutoffs, expert disclosure dates, pretrial conferences, and trial dates. Courts typically require a joint or unilateral scheduling statement early in a case to assist judicial case management and calendar planning. The document reconciles the parties’ availability, tracks required events under local rules and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and becomes the working schedule that the court may adopt as a scheduling order.

Why a clear Scheduling Statement matters to your case

A well-prepared Scheduling Statement clarifies deadlines, reduces disputes about timing, and demonstrates readiness for case management conferences. It helps the court control progress, gives opposing parties predictable timelines, and preserves positions on discovery and motion timing.

Who prepares and relies on the Scheduling Statement

Lead counsel usually prepares the proposed statement, often coordinating with opposing counsel and the court clerk before submission.

Plaintiff counsel responsible for proposing initial calendar and disclosures to the court.
Defense counsel negotiates dates, raises scheduling conflicts, and signs joint reports when required.
Court staff and magistrate judges use the statement to issue the official scheduling order.

The document is a shared timeline: parties, counsel, and the court use it to manage deadlines through case completion.

Core parts of a professional Scheduling Statement

A complete Scheduling Statement contains standardized headings and entries so the court can quickly adopt or modify the proposed timetable.

Case Caption

Full caption with court, case number, and party names. Must match the complaint and docket exactly to avoid filing errors.

Judge and Court

Name of the assigned judge or magistrate and the court division. Include courtroom or judge initials when local rules require them.

Proposed Deadlines

A chronological list of dates: Rule 26(f) conference, initial disclosures, discovery cutoff, expert disclosures, motions, and pretrial dates.

Discovery Plan

Scope and limits of discovery, anticipated depositions, preferred expert exchange protocol, and estimated time for completion.

Conflicts and Extensions

Noted scheduling conflicts, requested continuances, and any pending or expected motions that could affect dates.

Signatures

Signature blocks for counsel (and parties if required) with printed name, firm, address, phone, email, and date signed.

Step-by-step: preparing and filing a Scheduling Statement

Follow these sequential steps to prepare a compliant Scheduling Statement and minimize court processing delay.

01

Draft the calendar: Assemble proposed dates based on workload and local rule timelines.
02

Meet and confer: Negotiate dates with opposing counsel and record any agreed variations.
03

Finalize the statement: Populate the form fields, attach exhibits, and add required signature blocks.
04

File and serve: E-file with the court and serve opposing parties per local rules.

Configuring an online workflow for the Scheduling Statement

Set up fields and notifications to match court requirements and to ensure timely reminders for each deadline.

Field	Configuration
Filing Date Field	Auto-populate with eFiling timestamp; required for calculation logic.
Signature Field	Require signer name, date, and optional initial fields for each counsel.
Authentication Level	Email link or SMS code; use higher assurance for pro se or sensitive matters.
Automated Reminders	Schedule reminders 30/14/3 days before each deadline.

Where to file and how the Scheduling Statement travels

Understand the routing so parties and the court receive the document and associated audit records.

Court E-Filing System: Primary destination for most federal and many state courts; attach the statement to the case docket.
Clerk’s Office: Some courts require clerk review or manual entry after eFiling; confirm local process.
Opposing Counsel: Serve the joint or unilateral statement on opposing counsel by email or the court’s service option.
Courtroom/Chambers: Chambers may request courtesy copies or chambers copies for in-person or confidential material.

Digital signing and submission: file formats and integrations

Courts and eFiling portals accept standard formats and benefit from integration with case management tools.

Supported Formats: PDF and PDF/A preferred; Word DOCX accepted by some portals.
Integrations: Integrate with systems like Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 for document prep.
Authentication: Email link, SMS code, or stronger identity proofing for sensitive matters.

Ensure the platform produces a tamper-evident PDF and preserves the signing audit trail for court review and recordkeeping.

Typical Scheduling Statement deadlines to include

Common entries follow local rules; tailor each date to the specific case and any judge orders.

Initial Disclosures Deadline:

Often 14–30 days after the Rule 26(f) conference; insert exact MM/DD/YYYY.

Discovery Cutoff:

Last date for fact discovery; many courts set 6–12 months after filing.

Expert Disclosure Deadline:

Plaintiff and defense expert disclosure dates; identify primary and rebuttal swap dates.

Dispositive Motion Deadline:

Deadline for summary judgment and related motions, typically 60–90 days before trial.

Pretrial Conference:

Date for final case management and exhibit exchange instructions.

Key milestones from case start through trial

A sequential milestone view helps teams track progress against the Scheduling Statement.

01

Case Filing

Complaint filed and docket opened; initiates required disclosures and conferences.

02

Rule 26(f) Conference

Parties confer to create the discovery plan and propose a scheduling order.

03

Discovery Close

All depositions and written discovery must be completed by this date.

04

Pretrial Preparation

Exchange trial exhibits, witness lists, and prepare motions in limine.

Common mistakes when preparing a Scheduling Statement

Submitting dates that conflict with local rule timelines or the judge’s standing orders, causing rejection or delays.
Failing to obtain opposing counsel’s agreement on joint statements, producing inconsistent proposals to the court.
Leaving fillable fields blank or using inconsistent case captions that misroute the filing in eFiling systems.
Using tentative trial dates without confirming key witness availability, resulting in needed continuances.

Consequences of an incorrect or late Scheduling Statement

Sanctions: Monetary or case-management sanctions may follow for noncompliance.

Motion Denial: Motions filed after cutoffs may be rejected as untimely.

Continuance Costs: Delay increases litigation expense and client exposure.

Loss of Rights: Late disclosures can waive claims or evidence under court rules.

Clerk Rejection: Efiling may be rejected for incorrect caption or missing fields.

Adverse Orders: Judge may issue a restrictive schedule unfavorable to the requesting party.

Comparison of common eSignature platforms for preparing Scheduling Statements

Platforms vary by price, bulk send, audit trail, HIPAA support, and envelope limits; signNow is listed first per table convention.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Frequently asked questions about Scheduling Statements

Answers to common procedural and eSignature questions when preparing or filing Scheduling Statements.

Need help? Contact support

What is required in a Scheduling Statement?
Include the case caption, proposed deadlines for discovery and motions, any agreed adjustments, and signatures. Follow local rules and the judge’s standing orders for required content and formatting.
Must the statement be joint or can one party submit it?
Many courts expect a joint report after the Rule 26(f) conference; if parties cannot agree, one party may file a unilateral proposal and note disputes for the court’s decision.
Can a Scheduling Statement be signed electronically and filed?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted. Confirm the court’s eFiling and document-format requirements before submission.
How do you change dates after the court adopts the schedule?
Request a modification by motion demonstrating good cause or consent of the other parties; courts typically require a showing of schedule conflict or new circumstances.
What if a deadline is missed accidentally?
Notify the court promptly, seek relief by motion, and explain the reason. Missed deadlines can result in exclusion of evidence or denied motions if not timely cured.
Are notarization or witnesses required for Scheduling Statements?
No. Scheduling Statements are administrative filings and typically do not require notarization or witnesses. Follow any local rule exceptions and confirm with the clerk if uncertain.

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