Rules for Comment
April 8, 2015 § 3 Comments
There are some proposed rule changes up for comment at the MSSC web site. You can access them at this link.
The changes would be to MRCP 16, primarily, with a couple of affected words fixed in R26. The other change is to the Circuit and County Court Rules.
The rule change is designed, as I understand it, to alleviate the lengthy waits that litigators experience in circuit court.
While the changes appear to be a probably effective one-size-fits-all solution to the kind of litigation involved that transpires in circuit court, I think if they were rigidly applied in chancery, it would actually have the effect of slowing down proceedings and clogging up the docket. I have been using scheduling orders for years, and our deadlines are much tighter than these proposed.
The rule changes specifically do not apply to R81 matters, which is a good thing. But divorces are R4 matters, although there is that language that says the MRCP has limited applicability to Title 93 matters, which includes divorce.
Anyway, the MSSC invites comment. You are cordially invited to the discussion. Take advantage of the opportunity.
The Better Chancery Practice Blog 
Question: is the judge allowed to grant a continuance of the trial date under the proposed rule?
Good question.
I agree with you Larry. These rules changes should not be applied to Chancery matters.