What happens at a trial management conference right before a family trial?

A trial management conference is held shortly before the trial date and focuses on the practical logistics of the trial itself, rather than on settlement or general case management. The judge and the parties work through what issues genuinely remain in dispute after all the earlier conferences and disclosure, confirm the witnesses each side plans to call and roughly how much time the trial will need, address any outstanding procedural or evidentiary issues, and set the final schedule for the trial itself.

Because it happens so close to trial, this conference is also often a last practical opportunity to resolve the case before the expense and uncertainty of a full trial, and some cases do settle at or shortly after this stage once both sides confront exactly what a trial will actually involve. Coming to a trial management conference with a clear, realistic sense of what's still genuinely contested, and an organized witness and evidence plan, makes the trial itself run more smoothly and can reduce costs. Anyone approaching this stage should work closely with their lawyer to have all trial logistics organized well beforehand.