How to Fill Out and File the California Case Management Statement (CM-110)

The California Case Management Statement, Judicial Council Form CM-110, tells the judge where your civil case stands and what schedule it needs. Every party in a general civil case must file one, and serve it on every other party, at least 15 calendar days before each scheduled Case Management Conference.¹²³ The fillable form is on the Judicial Council’s website at courts.ca.gov.⁴

Meet and Confer Before You Fill Anything In

California Rules of Court, Rule 3.724 requires all parties to meet and confer, by phone or in person, no later than 30 calendar days before the initial Case Management Conference. This step is separate from the form, but the answers you reach here are what you write down on CM-110.⁵

Cover the practical ground:

A discovery schedule with deadlines for written questions, document requests, and depositions.
Facts both sides can stipulate to.
The disputed issues that actually need to be tried.
Whether the case might settle, and through what process.
Dates when attorneys or parties are unavailable for trial.
If digital records matter, how they’ll be preserved, in what format they’ll be produced, and how costs will be split.

Skip this step and you’ll be guessing when you fill in the form. Judges notice.

How to Complete the Form, Item by Item

CM-110 has more than a dozen numbered items. Rule 3.725 requires you to complete every one that applies to your case.¹

Items 1 Through 4: Who You Are and What the Case Is

Item 1 asks for the party filing. If you and another party on your side are filing together, check the joint-submission box and list both names. Items 2 and 3 cover the procedural history: when the complaint and any cross-complaint were filed, who has been served, who has appeared, and whether any defaults have been entered. If a party hasn’t been served, explain why. Item 3 also asks you to identify any additional parties who may be added later.⁶

Item 4 is where filers most often stumble. It asks for the type of case and a short written description of the dispute, including damages. Personal injury claims need medical expenses to date with source and amount, estimated future medical costs, lost earnings so far, and projected future lost earnings. Equitable relief claims need a description of the non-monetary remedy you’re asking for. Keep the narrative tight: what happened, what you want, and roughly how much is at stake.⁶

Items 5 Through 9: Trial Details

Item 5 is the jury-or-bench choice. If multiple parties are on your side, list the name of each one requesting a jury. Checking the jury box triggers a separate obligation: a $150 nonrefundable jury fee due on or before the date of the initial Case Management Conference, and missing it can waive the right entirely.⁷

Item 6 asks whether a trial date has been set, or if not, whether the case will be ready for trial within 12 months of the filing of the complaint. If it won’t, explain why. Item 7 wants your estimated trial length in days, or hours for shorter matters. Judges use this number to block calendar time, so give a realistic figure rather than an optimistic one. Item 8 identifies who will represent the party at trial. Item 9 is for statutory trial preferences, such as a party over 70 or a party with a terminal condition.⁶

Item 10: Alternative Dispute Resolution

First indicate whether you or your attorney reviewed the court’s ADR information package required under Rule 3.221. Then check the boxes for each ADR process you’re willing to try, and note any you’ve already completed or agreed to. The form lists mediation, settlement conference, neutral evaluation, nonbinding judicial arbitration, and binding private arbitration. If your case falls under mandatory judicial arbitration because the amount in controversy is below the statutory limit, check that box.⁶

Item 11: Insurance

Enter your carrier’s name if one exists, note whether there’s a reservation of rights, and explain whether coverage issues will affect resolution. A judge choosing between trial tracks and settlement conferences needs to know if an insurer is running the defense or if policy limits will cap any recovery.⁶

Filing and Serving the Statement

Once the form is signed, you have two parallel obligations that share the same deadline: file it with the court and serve it on every other party, no later than 15 calendar days before the scheduled Case Management Conference.¹

Filing With the Court

Most California superior courts now mandate electronic filing for represented parties. Under Rule 2.253, a court can require e-filing in all civil cases or in specific case types, and most counties have done so.⁸ Self-represented parties are exempt from mandatory e-filing and may file paper copies at the clerk’s window, though many courts encourage voluntary e-filing. If a document can’t feasibly be converted to electronic form, a court may allow paper filing even for represented parties.⁹ E-filing goes through an approved electronic filing service provider, which usually charges a small per-transaction fee. Because CM-110 has no court filing fee, that provider charge is the only cost.

Serving the Other Parties

You can serve by first-class mail, personal delivery, or electronic service if the other party has agreed to accept documents electronically. After service, file a proof of service with the court. Use Form POS-030 for mailed service or POS-050 for electronic service.¹⁰¹¹ Without a proof of service on file, the court may decline to proceed with the conference.

If You Miss the Deadline

Late filing, or not filing at all, gives the judge grounds to impose sanctions. The specific penalty depends on local rules and the judge’s discretion. Monetary sanctions are most common, but a judge could also issue orders striking pleadings or take other action against a noncompliant party. Treat the 15-day mark as firm and file earlier if you can.

At the Conference and After

The attorney of record or the self-represented party must attend the Case Management Conference. Rule 3.670 encourages courts to allow telephone appearances at civil conferences and hearings, and many courts also permit video appearances under Rule 3.672.¹²¹³ Check your specific court’s procedures ahead of time, because some departments require you to notify the court before appearing remotely.

The hearing is procedural, not evidentiary. No testimony, no rulings on the merits. The judge works from the parties’ CM-110 filings to discuss discovery status, ADR, outstanding motions, and how much trial time the case actually needs. Discrepancies between the two sides’ statements get resolved here. Come ready to discuss everything on your form and to respond to what the other side filed.

After the conference the court issues a Case Management Order, which becomes the binding schedule for the rest of the case. It sets deadlines for completing discovery, filing motions, exchanging expert witness information, and any mandatory settlement conference, and it sets or confirms the trial date.¹⁴ If the court later schedules additional Case Management Conferences, each one triggers a new obligation to file an updated CM-110 at least 15 days in advance.¹

The Jury Fee Deadline You Just Committed To

If you checked the jury-trial box on Item 5, the $150 nonrefundable jury fee is due by the date of the initial Case Management Conference. Only one fee per side is required, so one plaintiff’s payment covers all plaintiffs and the same goes for defendants. But each side must pay separately; a plaintiff’s payment doesn’t preserve a defendant’s jury right.⁷

Missing this deadline is one of the ways to waive your jury right under Code of Civil Procedure section 631. Unlawful detainer cases have a different rule (fee due at least five days before trial), and a party who first appeared after the initial conference has 25 days before the initial trial date. For a standard civil case, though, the conference date is the trigger. Put it on your calendar the moment you check the jury box.¹⁵

1
Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 3.725 – Case Management Statement
2
Judicial Council of California. Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule
3
California Courts. Civil Cases in California
4
California Courts. Case Management Statement (CM-110)
5
Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 3.724 – Duty to Meet and Confer
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Judicial Council of California. Judicial Council of California Form CM-110 – Case Management Statement
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Judicial Council of California. Frequently Asked Questions for Attorneys and Parties – Nonrefundable Jury Fee
8
California Courts. California Rules of Court for eFiling
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Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 2.252 – General Rules on Electronic Filing of Documents
10
Judicial Council of California. California Code of Civil Procedure 1013, 1013a – Proof of Service by First-Class Mail – Civil
11
California Courts. Proof of Electronic Service (POS-050)
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Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court 2026 – Rule 3.670 – Telephone Appearance
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Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court 2026 – Rule 3.672 – Remote Proceedings
14
Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 3.728 – Case Management Order
15
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 631 – Jury Trial