january 2001

Conduct of Lawsuits has been Streamlined and Accelerated by Recent Rule Changes Adopted by the New Jersey Courts

BACKGROUND

A study made by the New Jersey Supreme Court revealed that cases were not reaching the trial stage expeditiously. As a result, effective September 5, 2000, court procedural rules were modified to speed the movement of cases to the trial level and to unify court procedures throughout the state.

Here are some important changes to keep in mind:

Discovery time has been greatly decreased.

Certain commercial cases will first be assigned to an arbitrator before any trial.

Trial dates will be firm and adjournments severely restricted.

Court procedures will be applied uniformly in all the courts.

WE RECOMMEND

Because of the severe time constraints imposed by the new court rules, in order to achieve a timely, satisfactory, and cost effective result and to avoid court sanctions or even face dismissal of a case, we recommend that before commencing any lawsuit that you have available all the facts and information, documents, and names and statements of witnesses relating to the case.

If you have any questions concerning the rule changes or their application, please contact John J. Reilly.