Ind. Allen Cnty. Fam. Local Rule LR02-TR16-7

A. An initial Case Management Conference (CMC) shall be set in every

case where at least one-half day of trial is sought. When either party requests a

Case Management Conference, the CMC shall typically be scheduled to occur

within 30 days of the request. Absent leave of Court, trial dates for those

matters of at least one-half day will not be assigned until after the CMC is held

and after mediation has occurred. Trial dates for such cases will be assigned at

a Pre-Trial Conference (PTC).

B. At the Case Management Conference, the Court will address and very

likely order mediation, discuss family law arbitration, inquire of the matters at

issue, discuss discovery, and schedule a Pre-Trial Conference. Absent leave of

Court, mediation must occur before the PTC is conducted.

C. Should the case not be resolved at mediation, then at the PTC, the Court

will inquire of the matters at issue, schedule primary and/or secondary trial dates,

schedule a Final PTC, and establish discovery and other deadlines.

D. Hearings requiring less than one-half day may be set upon request

without a CMC. However, if the case involves matters where mediation is

required regardless of the length of the hearing, such as one involving any issue

concerning parenting time (e.g., parenting time modification, custody

modification, contempt regarding parenting time, child support modification

where the number of overnights is an issue) mediation must occur prior to the

hearing unless prior leave of Court is otherwise obtained. When mediation is

required for hearings of less than one-half day, the moving party shall also file a

motion for mediation prior to, or with the notice of hearing.

E. Case Management Conferences may be set in any matter and at any

procedural phase if helpful to assist the parties and the Court in efficient

management of the case. Parties represented by counsel need not personally

appear at the CMC or PTC unless otherwise ordered by the Court. The party

requesting the CMC shall submit a “Notice of Case Management Conference”

(similar to a Notice of Hearing) when requesting the date for the CMC.

Adopted effective November 1, 2021.