IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE Your family case has been scheduled for a case management conference. Trial counsel and parties are required to attend unless: • A Certificate in Lieu of Conference is filed with the court in advance of the conference date or • The Case Management Conference is deferred in accordance with Rule 110A(3)(A)(ii) • The parties agree on a modification of an existing judgment or order and file the appropriate paperwork with the court in advance of the conference date. A Certificate in Lieu of Conference (FM-054) may be filed when the parties agree on interim arrangements for the children. The court clerk has a form available for this purpose. The following matters will be discussed at the conference, and an order may be entered then or at a subsequent hearing even if a motion for interim relief has not been filed. 1. Interim arrangements for the children, including residence, parent/child contact, health insurance and child support; interim responsibility for payment of periodic debts; and interim spousal support (if applicable). You must file form FM050, Child Support Affidavit. It is due no later than 3 days prior to the conference. 2. Issues in dispute. 3. Deadlines for moving the case to resolution, exchange of information (discovery), and mediation. 4. Payment of fees, including any court mediation fee and attorney fees. YOU MAY BE ORDERED TO ATTEND MEDIATION. PLEASE COME TO THE CONFERENCE PREPARED TO PAY YOUR PORTION OF THE $160.00 FEE. 5. Date and time of the next court event. If one party is defaulted or if the case involves the establishment or enforcement of a child support obligation, a hearing may take place on the day of the conference. 6. Referral to a judge. When parental rights and responsibilities are in dispute, the parties may exercise their right to have a judge determine interim parental rights and responsibilities. To do this, a party must file a written request with the court clerk before or at the time of the conference. 7. Other matters pertinent to the case, including attendance at a parent education program; paternity testing; a job search; the appointment of a guardian ad litem; a psychological evaluation; and an investigation by the Dept. of Human Services pursuant to 19-A M.R.S.A. § 905. The Magistrate will enter a Case Management Order following the conference that will determine the course of the proceedings and may enter other orders, such as an interim order, or an order enforcing a child support obligation. WARNING If you are the responding party and wish to object to the complaint or motion, a response must be filed within the time limits established by statute or court rule. Do not wait until the time of the case management conference to state your objections. You have the right to appear and be heard at all courts events (trial, hearing, conference, mediation). If you fail to appear at any or all court events without good cause, action may be taken on your case even though you are not there. This means that the Court may, in your absence, enter an interim/temporary order, OR hold a final hearing and enter a final default order or judgment regarding any or all of the issues in your case, including but not limited to paternity or parentage, parental rights and responsibilities for children (custody, residence, visitation, etc), child support, spousal support/alimony, attorney fees, and distribution of marital and nonmarital property (debt, real estate, vehicles, pension and retirement accounts, etc). The Court also has the option to dismiss any pleading that you have filed if you do not show up. FM-087, Rev 01/09 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com