# Mass. Dist./Mun. Ct. Rule 1-83: Rule 1-83. Civil pretrial procedure

> Massachusetts · Court rules · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_MA_MDMCR_district_court_R1_83

## Section

- **Citation:** Mass. Dist./Mun. Ct. Rule 1-83
- **Heading:** Rule 1-83. Civil pretrial procedure
- **Jurisdiction:** Massachusetts
- **Kind:** Court rules
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Massachusetts Court Rules / Massachusetts District/Municipal Court Rules / district-court / Mass. Dist./Mun. Ct. Rule 1-83

## Text

Standing Order 1-83
All civil cases, including those remanded from the Superior Court Department, shall be scheduled for pretrial conference in compliance with Dist./Mun.Cts.R.Civ.P. 16.
At the conclusion of each conference, the court will enter an order reciting the results of the conference, and will set a trial date. Arrangements for a trial date cannot be made in any other manner. In accordance with Rule 16, the order will control the subsequent course of the case.
Counsel must appear at the pretrial conference with full authorization in all respects. The court may award costs against any party or attorney whose unjustified absence or lack of preparation prevented the conduct of a pretrial conference. See
Beit v. Probate & Family Court Dep't
, 385 Mass. 854, (1982).

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SRULES_MA_MDMCR_district_court_R1_83. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.