Contra Costa — Public Notice – Civil Ex Parte and MSJ/MSA Procedure Changes Effective September 15, 2025

Source: https://contracosta.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/public-notice-civil-ex-partes-and-msjs.pdf

Sparse pages use OCR; original PDF remains authoritative.

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA Public Information Office

mediainfo@contracosta.courts.ca.gov 925-608-2607

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Matt J. Malone, Public Information Officer September 3, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE: CIVIL DIVISION

CHANGES TO PROCEDURES FOR EX PARTES AND MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT/ADJUDICATION EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 15, 2025

Effective Monday, September 15, 2025, the procedures in the Civil Division for ex parte

applications and for motions for summary judgment / adjudication will change pursuant to Standing Order 3.5, attached.

Ex Parte Applications

• Ex Parte Applications in Civil cases shall no longer be brought to the department
during set hours. Instead, they shall be filed with the Court as provided in the
Standing Order.

• Hearings will only occur if requested by the Court.

• The Court will continue to operate ex parte hours and accept applications in person
at the Civil departments through September 30, 2025. Beginning October 1, 2025,
Civil departments will no longer hold set ex parte hours.

• This procedure shall not apply to Family, Probate, Limited Unlawful Detainer, or
Restraining Order cases.

Motions for Summary Judgment/Adjudication

• Filing parties must reserve a hearing date by emailing the department prior to filing
the motion.
• The motion must thereafter be filed within 7 days.
• This procedure shall not apply to Family, Probate, or Unlawful Detainer matters.

More specific details may be found in the Standing Order.

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Standing Order 3.5 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA DATE: SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 DEPARTMENT 1 JUDGE: HON. CHRISTOPHER R. BOWEN COURT CLERK: CAROLINE RUARO UNREPORTED CIVIL EX PARTE APPLICATIONS AND MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT / ADJUDICATION I. Civil Ex Parte Motions, Oppositions, and Hearings. A. Application / Effective Date.

1. This order shall apply to ex parte applications in Unlimited and Limited Civil cases, and Unlimited Unlawful Detainer cases. It shall not apply to Family, Probate, Limited Unlawful Detainer, or Restraining Order cases. It shall become effective on September 15, 2025.
2. The Court will accept ex parte applications under existing procedures (appearance at set hours), through September 30, 2025. Thereafter, applications must follow the process in this order. B. Notice to Parties. Notice of the filing of an ex parte application must be provided to the opposing party or their counsel no later than 10:00 a.m. the day before the application will be presented to the Court, absent a showing of exceptional circumstances justifying a shorter notice period, as provided in California Rules of Court, rule 3.1203. A declaration regarding notice must be submitted with the ex parte application papers. C. Notice to Court: The party seeking ex parte relief must provide email notification to the assigned department no later than 10:00 am on the court day before the ex parte determination. D. Ex Parte Application Papers. All ex parte papers shall be served and submitted to the Clerk’s Office no later than 3:00 pm the day before the ex parte determination. Submissions shall be filed electronically unless the party is self-represented and has not elected to participate in electronic filing. Papers may be served on the parties personally or electronically. The moving party must notify the Court if an opposition is expected. E. Opposition to Ex Parte Application. Oppositions to the ex parte relief requested shall be submitted to the Clerk’s Office and served on the party making the request as soon as possible, but not later than 10:00 a.m. on the 1

day of the ex parte determination. Submissions shall be filed electronically unless the party is self-represented and has not elected to participate in electronic filing. The opposition must be personally or electronically served on the other party and proof of service must be submitted with the opposition at the time it is filed. . Request for Appearance at Hearing. If either party requests to appear on the application or opposition, the application or opposition must state this request on the face page of the ex parte application and/or opposition. Hearings will only occur if ordered by the Court. The Court will notify the parties of the date and time of the hearing on the ex parte request. . Decisions on Ex Parte Applications. The Court will endeavor to rule on the application within 24 hours of the date scheduled for the ex parte determination, or 24 hours after the hearing if one is scheduled. Applications with extensive briefing may require more time for the Court to decide. Motions for Summary Judgment / Adjudication A. Application / Effective Date. This order shall apply to motions for summary judgment / adjudication filed in Unlimited and Limited Civil cases. It shall not apply to Family, Probate, or Unlawful Detainer matters. It shall become effective on September 15, 2025. Reservations. Parties moving for summary judgment/adjudication must reserve a hearing date and time prior to filing any moving papers. Reservations may be requested by email to the department. The Court will respond with the date and time of the scheduled hearing. Filing of Motion. Once the reservation date is confirmed by the Court, the moving party shall have seven (7) calendar days to file the moving papers with the Court. Failure to file the moving papers within this period may result in the reserved hearing time being vacated by the Court. Dated: September 3, 2025 IT IS SO ORDERED. ; L . . - HON. CHRISTOPHER R. BOWEN Presiding Judge of the Superior Court Contra Costa County