Trial management conference
The last step before trial: confirming readiness and a final push to settle.
The trial management conference is the last formal step before trial, and its job is to make sure a trial that goes ahead actually runs efficiently. By this point settlement talks have usually failed, so the focus shifts to readiness.
The judge confirms what issues remain genuinely in dispute, since some often fall away by now. The parties give the witnesses they intend to call and a realistic time estimate for the trial, which the court needs to schedule properly. They sort out which documents are agreed and admissible so the trial is not bogged down proving uncontested facts. Expert reports and any procedural problems are dealt with here rather than on the first day of trial.
There is also one last settlement push. Sitting across from a judge, with a trial date looming and the cost and risk of trial in clear view, parties often find room to resolve issues they could not resolve earlier. A case that seemed destined for trial can still settle at this stage.
If it does not settle, both sides leave knowing exactly what the trial will look like.
How Ryan helps: Ryan walks into the trial management conference with witnesses, time estimates, and documents organized, so you are ready either to settle on good terms or to go to trial.
Frequently asked questions
What is a trial management conference in Ontario family law?
A trial management conference, or TMC, is the last conference before trial. The judge confirms the case is ready, narrows the issues still in dispute, reviews witnesses and time estimates, and tries one more time to settle. It is held under the Family Law Rules once a trial is scheduled.
What do I need to prepare for a trial management conference?
You typically file a trial management conference brief setting out the remaining issues, your witnesses, documents you intend to rely on, and an estimate of how long the trial will take. Both sides come ready to discuss how the trial will run and whether any issues can still be settled.
Is the trial management conference the same as the trial?
No. The trial management conference is a planning meeting to get the case ready and is not where evidence is decided. The judge does not rule on the merits at a TMC. The trial is the separate, later hearing where witnesses testify and the judge makes the final decision.
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