Rule 50.Complex Case Designation
Part VII. Disclosure and Discovery · Last amended January 1, 2026 · Last verified September 4, 2026
Full Text of Rule 50
Rule History
Added Aug. 30, 2018, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Amended Aug. 28, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 50 is short and does one thing: it gives a case that needs more room a way to ask for it.
The motion
Any party may move to designate a case as complex, not later than 60 days after the initial response -- or later for good cause.
The factors
The court should consider issues that will be time-consuming to resolve, management of a large number of witnesses or a substantial amount of documentary evidence, the need for significant expert testimony, and any other factor that in the interests of justice warrants the designation.
What designation buys
Three things. The court must conduct an initial scheduling conference at which it may enter orders on the scope and timing of disclosure and discovery. It may extend the time to complete discovery under Rule 51. And it must address the appropriate length of trial at each scheduling conference and must provide a presumptive minimum of 12 hours for trial.
That last figure is the practical heart of the rule. Family law trials are routinely set for a fraction of a day, and Rule 77(c)(1) lets the court impose reasonable time limits. A complex designation sets a floor rather than leaving the allocation open -- though the court retains discretion to adjust the length based on the complexity of the issues identified in the parties' scheduling conference statements.
The 12-hour presumptive minimum arrived with the amendment adopted August 28, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must I move to designate a case complex?
Rule 50(b) allows the motion not later than 60 days after the initial response, or later for good cause.
What does the court consider?
Rule 50(c) lists issues that will be time-consuming to resolve, management of a large number of witnesses or substantial documentary evidence, the need for significant expert testimony, and any other factor that in the interests of justice warrants the designation.
How much trial time does a complex designation guarantee?
Rule 50(d) requires the court to address the appropriate length of trial at each scheduling conference and to provide a presumptive minimum of 12 hours for trial, while retaining discretion to adjust based on the complexity of the issues identified in the parties' scheduling conference statements.
Does a complex designation extend discovery?
It can. Rule 50(d) says the court also may extend the time for parties to complete discovery under Rule 51.
Is a scheduling conference required after designation?
Yes. Rule 50(d) says the court must conduct an initial scheduling conference, at which it may enter orders concerning the scope and timing of disclosure and discovery.