A docket control order establishes the complete pretrial schedule including amendment, discovery, expert, dispositive motion, and pretrial deadlines along with the trial setting. The term is used particularly in certain state and federal courts.
Modification requires good cause.
Alternative Names:
DCO, Docket Order, Scheduling and Docket Control Order
Why it Matters?
These orders govern everything and are frequently entered early with dates the parties proposed before understanding the case. Requesting realistic dates at the outset is more effective than seeking modification later, since courts apply the good cause standard seriously and diligence is assessed against what the party knew when the order entered. Some courts issue standard orders that parties may not have participated in setting.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How is a docket control order modified?
Are the dates always negotiated?
