Court Schedule
9:00 a.m. (Monday - Friday): Case Management Conferences/Statuses/Motion Presentment
9:30 a.m. (Monday - Thursday): Hearings (30 minutes or less)
10:30 a.m. (Monday - Friday): Prove-ups
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Monday - Thursday): Pre-trials
1:30 p.m. (Monday - Thursday): Hearings (more than 30 minutes) and Trials
Appearance in Court/ZOOM
On MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS attorneys and/or litigants may appear via ZOOM (Meeting ID: 852 0122 1691; Passcode 469373) for case management conferences, statuses, motion presentment and entry of agreed orders. Advance permission from the Court to appear via ZOOM is not required for such appearances. NO CONTESTED MATTERS (HEARINGS/TRIALS) WILL BE HEARD VIA ZOOM. All pre-trials and prove-ups shall be in-person, unless advance permission is obtained from the Court for good cause shown, upon written notice of motion and motion.
When appearing via ZOOM, participants shall comply with the Court’s ZOOM rules set forth below. Persons present in the Courtroom will be called prior to the Court addressing ZOOM participants.
Individuals who habitually have difficulty appearing remotely (e.g. connectivity issues, technical difficulties, inappropriate behavior and/or non-compliance with the Court’s ZOOM rules) may be removed from ZOOM and/or be required to appear in-person for future Court dates.
Prior to commencement of Court each day, Counsel and self-represented litigants shall check in with the courtroom Clerk. At that time Counsel and/or litigants shall advise the Clerk if an interpreter is needed. Participants on ZOOM shall check-in using the “chat” feature. When appearing before the Court, Counsel shall first state the case line number from that day’s Court docket sheet, followed by the case name and number.
Motions/Statuses
Motions shall not be set for hearing instanter but shall be set for presentment consistent with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court’s Local Rule 4.02. Emergency motions, consistent with Local Rule 4.05, at the Court’s discretion on a case-by-case basis, may be heard instanter. Emergency motions must include the basis for the movant’s claim of any emergency. Motions not filed in compliance with applicable Court rules, will not be addressed by the Court.
Statuses shall be heard at 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. Counsel of record shall confer with one another prior to appearing before the Court for status/case management to confirm what is scheduled before the Court, to identify any areas of agreement and have an Agreed Order ready to propose to the Court. When it is evident to the Court that Counsel did not confer prior to the matter being called, the matter may be passed to the end of the Court call.
Hearings/Trials
All hearings and trials are in-person. Subject to the Court’s schedule, hearings will commence at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. and trials at 1:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Upon commencement of a contested hearing or trial, the hearing or trial will proceed day-to-day, unless for good cause shown or as otherwise ordered by the Court. Trial memoranda and exhibits shall be exchanged between the parties seven (7) days prior to trial. Each party’s exhibit notebook/binder shall be provided to the Court at the commencement of the hearing/trial, and shall be properly marked and include all stipulations of the parties, and a corresponding exhibit list located on the first page of the notebook/binder. Motions in Limine shall be presented to the Court one (1) week prior to trial.
Prove-Ups
Subject to the Court’s schedule, prove-ups will be scheduled at 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Prove-up dates will be scheduled only after settlement documents are signed by all parties. A hard copy of ALL prove-up documents (proposed Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage, Marital Settlement Agreement, Name Change Order, Support Order, Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage, etc.) shall be presented in open Court on or prior to the scheduled prove-up date. Prove-up documents shall NOT be submitted to the Court electronically (e-mail or Odessey e-file), unless otherwise directed by the Court.
Pre-Trials/Pre-Trial Memorandums
Pre-trials will not commence without the Court receiving print copies of the following by 4:30 p.m. three (3) business days prior the scheduled Pre-trial:
- A Pre-trial Memorandum no more than ten (10) pages in length, double-spaced, size 12-font, that is stapled and identifies the date/time of the pre-trial, filing date of all pending petitions/motions, and contact information for counsel of record.
- If property/support (child support and/or maintenance) is at issue, financial affidavits for each party dated not later than three (3) months prior to the Pre-trial, and the most recent Family Law Software support calculations.
Pre-Trial Memorandums and other required documents shall be delivered via first-class or overnight mail addressed to Judge Meyers at the Will County Courthouse, hand-delivered to the Law Library or Courtroom 701, or e-mailed to Judgemeyers@il12thcourt.gov. Opposing counsel shall be copied on all pre-trial memorandums.
Orders
No order is necessary when scheduling statuses, case management conferences and agreed prove-ups. A written/typed order is required for all other matters, including Orders of Protection. Absent permission by the Court, Orders shall be presented prior to leaving the Courtroom. With permission from the Court, all other Orders shall be submitted via Odyssey within 24 hours of the case being addressed. Proposed orders should not be submitted via Odyssey prior to presentment in Court.
Orders shall be dated, identify the parties/attorneys of record and who was present before the Court. If setting a hearing/trial, the Order shall identify each Motion/Petition to be heard and the respective filing date of each. Orders not timely submitted will be rejected. Failure to timely submit a proper Order may result in cancellation of the intended future court date.
A complete calculation worksheet with data information must be attached to all Court Orders setting support (child support and/or maintenance).
The Court may, in its discretion and on a case-by-case basis, accept agreed Orders for presentment and entry for matters off-call.
Courtesy Copies
Unless specifically requested, the Court will not accept courtesy copies of Motions/Petitions.
Communication with the Court
Communication with the Court must be in writing, with all counsel of record or self-represented litigant copied on the communication.
General Information
Any conflict between this Court’s Standing Order and a Court Order entered in any matter before the Court, will be resolved in favor of the Court Order.
The Court reviews all pleadings, pre-trial memorandums and other documents in advance of each Court proceeding and expects Counsel and litigants to be prepared to proceed as scheduled. Please notify the Court immediately if a continuance or other modification to a scheduled hearing/trial/pre-trial/prove-up is being sought.
ZOOM RULES – COURTROOM 701
To participate in Court proceedings in Courtroom 701 via ZOOM, Counsel, litigants and other participants MUST:
1. Have video and audio capability on their chosen device and know how to use both features.
2. Use and display their legal first and last name on the ZOOM platform, remain muted until addressed by the Court (but may utilize the “raised hand” feature to advise the Court they are ready to be called), and turn on their camera with their face displayed while addressing the Court.
3. Check in with the Courtroom Clerk using the “chat” feature.
4. Be appropriately dressed and conduct themselves as they would in a physical courtroom.
5. Be in an environment free of video and/or audio distractions, and ensure the appropriateness of any selected video background.
6. Refrain from drinking, smoking, chewing gum, driving and/or engaging in any other distracting behavior.
7. Refrain from screenshots, recordings, broadcasting or unauthorized video/audio capture.
8. Not speak over one another in the ZOOM proceeding.