Notes on the 2019 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure
A practitioner-oriented review of selected changes introduced by the 2019 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure and how they affect day-to-day litigation practice.
The 2019 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure consolidated a number of changes intended to streamline civil litigation. Several of those changes have meaningfully affected the rhythm of trial-court practice.
The amendments emphasize judicial affidavits, pre-trial obligations, and the early disclosure of evidence. Counsel benefits from preparing a complete evidentiary picture earlier in the case than was customary under the prior regime.
In our experience, matters that begin with a careful application of the amended pre-trial rules tend to proceed to resolution more predictably, regardless of how they ultimately turn out on the merits.
These notes are general in nature; specific applications depend on the facts of the matter and the practice of the court concerned.