What is a Resolution Management Conference (RMC)?
Family law proceedings, such as divorces and parenting issues, are often some of the most challenging legal cases, with a variety of roadblocks and disputed issues. Because of this, a Resolution Management Conference (RMC) is often one of the first court hearings that will be set in a family law case. This hearing may be set by the court or requested by one of the parties.
Resolution Management Conferences allow each party, their counsel, and a judge to meet and work out what the current issues are, which areas may be agreed upon, and create an appropriate timeline to move forward. These hearings also allow for a judge to learn additional information about the case.
As stated in Rule 76 of the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure, an RMC’s ultimate purpose is to “facilitate agreements between the parties.” Rules surrounding an RMC include:
- The RMC must be held within 60 days of the filing of a request, unless extended by the court for good cause.
- Prior to the RMC, the parties must confer to resolve as many disputed issues as possible, provided there is no domestic violence or protective orders between the parties.
- Each party must prepare a written resolution statement detailing agreements between the parties and their proposed position for resolving the disputed issues.
During a Resolution Management Conference, if the parties come to an agreement on any issues, they may enter into binding Rule 69 agreements. For issues that remain disputed, the court will explore reasonable solutions, enter temporary orders, resolve discovery disputes, set dates for additional court hearing, and/or make any other orders deemed appropriate.
The court must enter an order reciting the action it took at the RMC. This order controls the course of the case unless the court modifies it by a later order.
Rideout Law Group handles cases throughout the entire state of Arizona, with offices located in Scottsdale and Lake Havasu City. Our attorneys are experienced in handling cases that involve Resolution Management Conferences. For a free consultation, call 480-584-3328.