New Supreme Court benchcard compiles best practices for courts in civil cases
Court News Ohio
The Supreme Court of Ohio has produced a new guide with recommended practices for courts to use in civil cases. The benchcard was developed as part of Supreme Court initiatives to offer guidance to support timely case management in local courts.
The Civil Caseflow Best Practices benchcard offers ideas for communicating and complying with time guidelines for the resolution of cases and highlights pertinent court rules. It also explains steps for triaging incoming cases and assigning them to appropriate paths – streamlined, general, or complex – for effective case management.
Several important stages for managing cases are identified, including:
• Scheduling and calendaring, with a sample notice and order.
• Service processes.
• Filing of answers.
• Pretrial procedures.
• Discovery plans and discovery disputes, including a sample report and plan.
• Case Management Courses
The Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College offers online courses to assist courts with case management:
• Fundamentals of Caseflow Management and Statistical Reporting 2026.
• Civil Caseflow Best Practices 2026.
• Caseflow Management and Statistics for Common Pleas Courts.
• Caseflow Management and Statistics for Municipal and County Courts.
Search and sign up for courses at OhioCourtEDU.
Featured throughout the benchcard are best practice tips. It also discusses other important considerations, such as dispute resolution and settlement discussions, well-reasoned continuance policies, and cases involving self-represented parties.
The benchcard was grew out of recommendations made in “Advancing Timeliness in Ohio Courts,” a Court report published earlier this year. The report explored challenges and factors affecting caseflow management and timeliness in the Ohio judicial system, as identified by judicial officers, court administrators, and attorneys. Tools such as the benchcard, publications including “Pathway Approach for Civil Cases,” and online courses provide judges with practical, data-informed tools to improve civil case management and enhance overall court efficiency.
Great News
I applaud this. While I have resolved potential civil cases with facts, legal documents, and comments such as "go ahead and sue, I look forward to winning". No one ever sued. Just in case, this helps in the event some fool wants to challenge me. When it's writing you have a weak case. When a verbal agreement is not honored over payment for consulting services of $8000, he paid. I collected. When his CPA license was suspended for violation of IRS some years later, you can rest assured I filed a complaint with California.
He was and is a disgrace to the majority of honest, ethical Certified Public Accountants. I find it pathetic California eventually lifted the ban. One strike in the financial industry. That's my philosophy.