To file a Request for Judicial Intervention in New York, complete form UCS-840, attach any addendum your case type requires, pay the $95 fee, and submit it through NYSCEF or at the County Clerk’s office. The RJI is what gets a judge assigned to your case. Buying an index number opens the file; the RJI puts it in front of a judge who can actually rule on motions and schedule conferences.1New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 80202New York State Unified Court System. Index Numbers
When You Have to File One
Uniform Rule 202.6 sets out the filings that require an RJI in an unassigned case. If a case has no judge yet, the clerk will not accept any of these without an RJI attached:3New York State Unified Court System. Section 202.6 Request for Judicial Intervention
- A notice of motion or cross-motion
- An order to show cause
- An ex parte application
- A notice of petition starting a special proceeding
- A note of issue certifying the case ready for trial
- A notice of medical, dental, or podiatric malpractice action
- A statement of net worth in a matrimonial action under Domestic Relations Law Section 236
- A request for a preliminary conference
An RJI is a one-time filing. Once a judge is assigned, every future motion, conference, or application in that case goes straight to that judge. You don’t file a second RJI, and you don’t pay another assignment fee.
Filling Out the UCS-840
The RJI itself is form UCS-840, available on the Unified Court System’s website.4LII / Legal Information Institute. 22 NYCRR Form UCS-840 – Request for Judicial Intervention The form asks for:
- The index number assigned when the case was purchased
- The full case caption exactly as it appears on the summons and complaint
- The nature of the action, chosen from categories such as tort, contract, matrimonial, or real property
- Attorney names, firm addresses, and phone numbers for every attorney of record, along with contact details for any self-represented parties
- The nature of the judicial intervention you’re requesting, such as a motion, a preliminary conference, or an ex parte application
The “nature of judicial intervention” field is where filings get bounced. If you check “preliminary conference” but you’re actually submitting a motion, the clerk may reject the filing or route it wrong. Match this field to what you’re actually filing.
Extra Forms for Certain Case Types
Residential Foreclosure
If the property is an owner-occupied home with one to four units or an owner-occupied condominium, you have to include the Foreclosure Addendum, form UCS-840F, with the RJI.5New York State Unified Court System. Foreclosure Request for Judicial Intervention Addendum The addendum requires the mortgage servicer’s identity and contact information for each defendant. On the RJI, select “Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Conference” as the nature of intervention, and include proof of service on every defendant.
Commercial Division
To ask for assignment to the Commercial Division, file the Commercial Division Addendum, form UCS-840C. Your case has to meet a monetary threshold that varies by county:6New York State Unified Court System. Commercial Division Rules – Section 202.70
- New York County (Manhattan): $500,000
- Nassau County: $200,000
- Kings County (Brooklyn): $150,000
- Queens, Suffolk, Westchester, and the Eighth Judicial District: $100,000
- Bronx County: $75,000
- Albany, Onondaga, and the Seventh Judicial District: $50,000
Punitive damages, interest, costs, disbursements, and attorney fees don’t count toward the threshold. Only the core amount in controversy does.
What It Costs
Under CPLR 8020, the RJI fee in Supreme Court and County Court is $95, payable before a judge will be assigned.1New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 8020 If you’re filing a motion along with the RJI, you owe a $45 motion fee on top of the $95. When the case eventually reaches the trial calendar through a note of issue, a further $30 fee applies. These are separate charges at separate stages.
A few filings don’t carry the $95 fee. Name change applications and discrete applications that don’t start ongoing litigation, such as out-of-state discovery requests, are in the no-fee category.7New York State Unified Court System. Supreme Court Civil Branch, New York County – RJIs and Assignments A party granted poor person status under CPLR 1101 has all filing fees waived, including the RJI fee, and the waiver applies automatically when a legal aid organization represents the party after determining they can’t afford litigation costs.8New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 1101 Infant compromise orders are not fee-exempt: when no action has been commenced, the $95 RJI fee applies; if the case is already in suit, a $45 motion fee applies instead.
How to Submit It
Through NYSCEF
In cases within the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system, you file the RJI through the NYSCEF portal. You can upload your own completed UCS-840 as a PDF, or let NYSCEF generate the RJI from the data you enter during filing.9New York State Unified Court System. NYSCEF System User Manual Auto-generation reduces the risk of mismatches between the RJI and the underlying case data. Payment of the $95 fee happens during the same transaction, and the system timestamps the filing. Transmission through NYSCEF also counts as service on all other e-filed parties, so no separate affidavit of service is needed.
On Paper
In cases not subject to e-filing, deliver the completed UCS-840, with sufficient copies, to the County Clerk’s office or Clerk of the Court. Paper submissions require proof of service on all other parties at the clerk’s window. The clerk assigns a judge through random selection and notifies the parties by mail, or through NYSCEF if a party has an account.
What Happens After You File
Once the clerk processes the RJI, the case enters the individual assignment system and a judge is randomly selected. Every motion, conference, and trial issue in the case stays with that judge from then on.10New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. 22 NYCRR 202.3 – Individual Assignment System Structure What happens immediately depends on why you filed the RJI. If you filed with a motion, the assigned judge’s chambers will schedule oral argument or decide on the papers. If you requested a preliminary conference, the court sends a scheduling notice.
In residential mortgage foreclosure cases, the court must schedule a settlement conference within 60 days of the RJI being filed.11LII / Legal Information Institute. 22 NYCRR 202.12a – Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Actions Those conferences exist to explore alternatives such as loan modification before the case moves onto a litigation track.
Why Not to Wait
A case without an assigned judge is exposed to CPLR 3216. The opposing party, or the court on its own, can serve a 90-day demand by certified mail requiring you to resume prosecution and file a note of issue.12FindLaw. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Rule 3216 Filing a note of issue requires an assigned judge, so you’ll need to file the RJI to comply. Missing the 90-day window lets the court dismiss the case for failure to prosecute, and getting the dismissal vacated requires showing both a justifiable excuse and a meritorious claim. Filing the RJI early is cheaper insurance than trying to undo a dismissal later.