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Ventura County trial document templates

Not legal advice. Rules checked against the code on August 20, 2026. Verify every date yourself. Read the full disclaimer

Core CCP rules were checked against Westlaw (via CoCounsel legal research) on August 20, 2026. County local rules are paraphrased summaries. Individual department and judge standing orders are included only where the court publishes them and we have read the document, so assume your own department has requirements beyond what you see here. Verify every date against the operative code sections, your court’s rules and your department’s own order before relying on it. Using this site creates no attorney-client relationship.

13 documents, 32 required sections, taken from Superior Court of California, County of Ventura’s own published rules and read 2026-09-14. Each one downloads as California pleading paper with this court’s required sections already placed, so the document cannot silently omit one.

A blank template is easy to find anywhere. What is hard to find is which sections this court requires inside the document, because that lives in a local rule nobody indexes. Every heading below is cited to the subdivision it came from, and the rule’s own sentence prints beside it in the reference sheet so you can check your work.

Download these as templates

The reference sheet below carries everything this court requires, each rule quoted from its own text and cited to the subdivision. The pleading paper templates are temporarily down while the line numbering is rebuilt, because the rail did not line up with the body text and a pleading whose lines cannot be cited is worse than no template at all.

Your details optional, blanks print as ruled lines

These stay in this browser. They are not sent anywhere, and the file is built on this machine, so a case name never reaches our server.

  • Joint ADR Status Conference Statementjointly, 1 required sections. at least five court days before the ADR Status Conference
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Mandatory Settlement Conference Statement and MSC Briefeach party, 2 required sections. at least five court days before the mandatory settlement conference
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Master Witness List and Master Exhibit Listjointly, 6 required sections. exchanged between the parties at least 30 days before trial in Courtroom 20 and at least 14 days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21, with the compiled master lists emailed to the courtroom five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and three court days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21; under the county default the combined witness list goes to the trial department on the first day of trial; in Department 44 the joint witness list and the joint exhibit list are separate required joint trial documents emailed at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial, with the meet and confer at least 14 days before they are due
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Joint Stipulations of Issues That Need Not Be Triedjointly, 1 required sections. emailed at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial, with the meet and confer at least 14 days in advance of when the joint documents are due
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Trial Briefeach party, 2 required sections. five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Department 44, three court days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21; under the county default, exchanged with opposing counsel at or immediately after announcing ready at the trial call and emailed to the trial department on the first day of trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Motions in Limineeach party, 2 required sections. briefing complete at least seven days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Courtroom 42 and at least three days before trial in Department 21, with the briefing emailed to the courtroom five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Department 44, three court days before trial in Courtroom 42, and three days before trial in Department 21; under the county default they are exchanged at or immediately after the trial call
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Paper Chambers and Courtesy Copies of Trial Documentseach party, 2 required sections. by 8:30 a.m. the court day after the trial documents are emailed
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Joint Proposed Jury Questionnairejointly, 1 required sections. served and lodged with the judicial assistant by the date of the trial call, with the pre-screening copies lodged on the first day of trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Statement of the Casejointly, 1 required sections. emailed to the trial department proxy on the first day of trial, or sooner if the department requires it
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Joint Exhibit Book and Exhibit Bindersjointly, 4 required sections. on the first day of trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Notice of Lodging Deposition Transcriptseach party, 2 required sections. on the first day of trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Jury Instructionsjointly, 5 required sections. lodged with the judicial assistant no later than the first day of trial, with the Department 44 meet and confer at least 14 days prior to trial and the Department 44 joint list of agreed-upon CACI instruction numbers emailed with the other trial documents at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected
  • Jury Verdict Formsplaintiff, 3 required sections. under the county default, served on the other parties before the first witness is sworn and lodged with the clerk of the trial department before the plaintiff rests; in Courtroom 20, Courtroom 42, Department 21 and Department 44 they travel with the jury instructions and go in no later than the first day of trial
    Pleading paper is being corrected

Everything this court requires in one editable document, with each rule quoted and cited.

What each document has to carry

Joint ADR Status Conference Statement

Prepared jointly. Filed and served, at least five court days before the ADR Status Conference. Applies to civil cases in Courtroom 20 where the court sets an ADR Status Conference. Ventura Superior Court, Courtroom 20 Rules and Procedures, section III

  1. Contents of the ADR Status Conference Statement
    • The parties' readiness for trial
    • Identification of any issues that may require court involvement, such as bifurcation, consolidation, or complicated evidentiary issues to be decided before trial

Mandatory Settlement Conference Statement and MSC Brief

Prepared by each party. Lodged, at least five court days before the mandatory settlement conference. Applies to unlimited civil cases only. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 3.13(A) and 3.13(B)

  1. Settlement conference statement under California Rules of Court, rule 3.1380
    • A settlement conference statement conforming to California Rules of Court, rule 3.1380
    • Any additional confidential statement the party elects to lodge, no later than five court days before the conference
  2. MSC brief and remote appearance paperwork
    • An MSC brief of no more than five pages
    • Submission by email to MSC@ventura.courts.ca.gov at least five court days before the MSC
    • For a Zoom MSC, the court's completed remote MSC acknowledgement form, filed at least five court days before the conference together with the settlement conference statement

Master Witness List and Master Exhibit List

Prepared jointly. Delivered to the clerk, exchanged between the parties at least 30 days before trial in Courtroom 20 and at least 14 days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21, with the compiled master lists emailed to the courtroom five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and three court days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21; under the county default the combined witness list goes to the trial department on the first day of trial; in Department 44 the joint witness list and the joint exhibit list are separate required joint trial documents emailed at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial, with the meet and confer at least 14 days before they are due. Applies to all civil trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(I)

  1. Party exchange of witness and exhibit lists
    • A witness list exchanged with every other party
    • An exhibit list exchanged with every other party
  2. Master exhibit list compiled after the exchange
    • Duplicate exhibits removed
    • A brief description of each exhibit
    • Whether there will be any objection to admissibility
  3. Master witness list compiled after the exchange
    • Each witness's relationship to the case
    • The general subject matter of the testimony
    • A time estimate for direct examination
    • A time estimate for cross examination
  4. Single combined witness list under the county default
    • A single combined list of witnesses who may be called in the trial, agreed on by counsel for all sides
    • Time estimates for direct and cross
    • The general subject matter of the testimony of each witness
  5. Department 44 joint witness list
    • Name
    • Relationship to the case
    • Brief offer of proof
    • Time estimate
  6. Department 44 joint exhibit list
    • A single joint exhibit list covering all parties

Joint Stipulations of Issues That Need Not Be Tried

Prepared jointly. Lodged, emailed at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial, with the meet and confer at least 14 days in advance of when the joint documents are due. Applies to Department 44 (complex civil) trials. Ventura Superior Court, Department 44 Rules and Procedures, section II.A.3

  1. Stipulations detailing any issues that need not be tried
    • Stipulations detailing any issues that need not be tried, or a statement that there are none

Trial Brief

Prepared by each party. Lodged, five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Department 44, three court days before trial in Courtroom 42 and Department 21; under the county default, exchanged with opposing counsel at or immediately after announcing ready at the trial call and emailed to the trial department on the first day of trial. Applies to all civil trials, and strongly preferred but not required in Department 44. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(B)

  1. County default page limit and delivery
    • A trial brief of no more than ten pages
    • Exchange with opposing counsel at or immediately after announcing ready at the trial call
    • Email to the trial department's email proxy on the first day of trial
    • No filing in the clerk's office
  2. Department page limit and deadline
    • A trial brief of no more than five pages
    • Service on all parties
    • Email to the assigned courtroom's email address as a PDF attachment

Motions in Limine

Prepared by each party. Lodged, briefing complete at least seven days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Courtroom 42 and at least three days before trial in Department 21, with the briefing emailed to the courtroom five court days before trial in Courtroom 20 and Department 44, three court days before trial in Courtroom 42, and three days before trial in Department 21; under the county default they are exchanged at or immediately after the trial call. Applies to all civil trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(N)

  1. County default scope, page limits and form
    • Motions limited to those reasonably necessary to resolve material evidentiary issues
    • Conformity with the principles announced in Kelly v. New West Federal Savings (1996) 49 Cal.App.4th 659
    • A meet and confer to reduce the number of motions
    • No more than three pages for each motion and each opposition, inclusive of points and authorities and exhibits
    • No reply briefs
    • A proposed order for each motion
    • A numbered caption for each motion
  2. Department limits and agreed briefing schedule
    • A meet and confer on the necessity of the motions
    • An agreed schedule for service of motions, oppositions and any reply briefs
    • No more than five pages per motion
    • No more than five motions in limine per party without leave of court, stated as five per side in Department 44
    • In Department 44, no more than twenty pages of exhibits attached to each motion
    • Email of all in limine briefing to the assigned courtroom as a PDF

Paper Chambers and Courtesy Copies of Trial Documents

Prepared by each party. Delivered to the clerk, by 8:30 a.m. the court day after the trial documents are emailed. Applies to Department 44 and Department 21 trials. Ventura Superior Court, Department 44 Rules and Procedures, section II.A.2

  1. Department 44 mandatory paper chambers copies
    • Paper chambers copies of all trial documents
    • Delivery to Courtroom 44 by 8:30 a.m. the court day after they are emailed
    • A labeled and tabbed 3-ring binder
    • An index of documents
  2. Department 21 courtesy paper copies
    • Courtesy paper copies of all trial documents, including witness lists, exhibit lists, trial briefs, motions in limine and proposed jury questionnaires
    • Delivery by 8:30 a.m. the next court day after the documents are emailed

Joint Proposed Jury Questionnaire

Prepared jointly. Lodged, served and lodged with the judicial assistant by the date of the trial call, with the pre-screening copies lodged on the first day of trial. Applies to Courtroom 20 jury trials where a party requests a jury questionnaire. Ventura Superior Court, Courtroom 20 Rules and Procedures, section VI.13

  1. Joint proposed questionnaire and juror copies
    • A joint proposed jury questionnaire
    • All written instructions to jurors
    • At least 80 copies lodged on the first day of trial for pre-screening

Statement of the Case

Prepared jointly. Lodged, emailed to the trial department proxy on the first day of trial, or sooner if the department requires it. Applies to civil jury trials where counsel do not request mini opening statements. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(G)

  1. Statement of the case read to the jury panel
    • One page
    • A brief, concise factual statement of the case
    • Stipulation by all counsel
    • Joint preparation

Joint Exhibit Book and Exhibit Binders

Prepared jointly. Delivered to the clerk, on the first day of trial. Applies to all civil trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(O)(5)

  1. Number of binders under the county default
    • A joint exhibit list
    • An exhibit binder for opposing counsel
    • An exhibit binder for the witness stand
    • An exhibit binder for the bench
    • An exhibit binder for the clerk, if ordered by the judge
  2. Joint exhibit book, pre-marking and pre-trial exchange
    • All exhibits submitted in a joint exhibit book to the courtroom clerk on the first day of trial so they can be pre-marked
    • Exchange of exhibits with opposing counsel before arriving in the trial department
    • Stipulation to foundation and admissibility where possible
    • Admissibility disputes raised on the first day of trial
  3. Department binder specification
    • All exhibits, including impeachment materials, pre-marked using numbers
    • A unique number range assigned to each party to avoid duplication
    • An agreed master set of exhibits excluding impeachment materials
    • Numerically tabbed binders no more than two inches thick
    • A spine labeled to indicate the exhibit numbers in each binder
    • In Courtroom 42 and Department 21, two copies on the first day of trial, one to the judicial assistant for marking and the court's use and one at or adjacent to the witness stand, with counsel keeping their own set
    • In Department 21, each party responsible for ensuring that every party has a complete set
  4. Department 44 copy count and page marking
    • All exhibits pre-marked with numbers in unique ranges per party, with no duplicates
    • Numerically tabbed binders with spines reflecting the number ranges
    • Every page marked by exhibit number and page number
    • One copy for the judge
    • One copy for the court clerk
    • One copy for the witness stand

Notice of Lodging Deposition Transcripts

Prepared by each party. Lodged, on the first day of trial. Applies to all civil trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(O)(7)

  1. County default lodging of original depositions
    • All original depositions lodged with the courtroom clerk on the first day of trial
    • A Notice of Lodging with each deposition
  2. Department lodging of transcripts counsel will use
    • Every deposition transcript the parties intend to refer to or read from at trial, lodged with the court on the first day of trial
    • A separate notice of lodging for each transcript

Jury Instructions

Prepared jointly. Lodged, lodged with the judicial assistant no later than the first day of trial, with the Department 44 meet and confer at least 14 days prior to trial and the Department 44 joint list of agreed-upon CACI instruction numbers emailed with the other trial documents at least 5 court days before trial and no more than 30 days before trial. Applies to all civil jury trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 19.09(A), (B) and (C)

  1. Form of the requested instructions package
    • The title of the court
    • The title and number of the action
    • The title of the document, namely, Instructions requested by ____
    • CACI used as the civil default set
    • A flag in parentheses or similar on any modified pattern instruction
    • Every blank completed
    • Consecutive numbering of counsel-drafted instructions
    • The requesting party identified
    • The supporting authority cited
    • Presentation of the package to the courtroom judicial assistant
  2. Citation of authority block in the Exhibit A format
    • The case name
    • The requesting party
    • The given, given as modified, refused or withdrawn dispositions
    • A line for the judge
  3. Joint set lodged with the judicial assistant
    • A meet and confer on jury instructions and verdict forms
    • A joint set of agreed-upon jury instructions and verdict forms lodged with the judicial assistant no later than the first day of trial
    • CACI-approved instructions and verdict forms to the extent possible
    • Preparation, service and lodging of the final set by plaintiff unless otherwise agreed
  4. Department 44 meet and confer and day one submission
    • A meet and confer at least 14 days prior to trial
    • CACI instructions and verdict forms where possible
    • On any joint special instruction submitted, a statement whether the other side stipulates or objects
    • The bases specified by any objecting party
    • On Day 1 of trial, a joint list of CACI instruction numbers, proposed special instructions, and verdict forms
  5. Department 44 joint list of agreed-upon CACI instruction numbers
    • A joint list of agreed-upon CACI instruction numbers

Jury Verdict Forms

Prepared by plaintiff. Lodged, under the county default, served on the other parties before the first witness is sworn and lodged with the clerk of the trial department before the plaintiff rests; in Courtroom 20, Courtroom 42, Department 21 and Department 44 they travel with the jury instructions and go in no later than the first day of trial. Applies to all civil jury trials. Ventura County Superior Court Local Rule 8.12(L)(4)

  1. County default preparation, service and lodging
    • Verdict forms prepared by plaintiff's counsel
    • Service on the other parties before the first witness is sworn
    • Agreement on the forms by all counsel
    • Lodging with the clerk of the trial department before the plaintiff rests
  2. Verdict forms lodged with the jury instructions
    • A joint set of agreed-upon verdict forms lodged with the judicial assistant no later than the first day of trial
    • Preparation, service and lodging of the final set by plaintiff unless otherwise agreed
  3. Department 44 verdict forms
    • CACI-approved verdict forms where possible
    • Submission with the joint list on Day 1 of trial
    • Preparation of the final set by plaintiff unless otherwise agreed

Start with the joint documents

7 of these are prepared jointly: Joint ADR Status Conference Statement; Master Witness List and Master Exhibit List; Joint Stipulations of Issues That Need Not Be Tried; Joint Proposed Jury Questionnaire; Statement of the Case; Joint Exhibit Book and Exhibit Binders; Jury Instructions. A joint document needs a meet and confer before it can be filed, so it sets the real deadline even though the filing date is the same as everything else.

When each one is due

Count each deadline back from the date the rule is actually keyed to rather than from trial. The full rule list for Ventura County carries every rule with its quoted text, and the trial countdown calculator computes the statewide CCP chain.

How these were built

Every rule was researched from the court’s own published text, then checked a second time by a reader told to assume a rule had been invented. Grouping those rules into the documents a court actually wants was a further pass, and an adversarial check corrected it: the commonest error was a document whose contents the first pass left empty while the rule enumerated them. Templates are generated in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere. See methodology.

Related: All courts with templates · Ventura trial binder rules · Trial countdown calculator