If a case is settled, each plaintiff or other party seeking affirmative relief must notify the arbitrator and the court as required in rule 3.1385.
Rule 3.829.Settlement of case
Division 8. Alternative Dispute Resolution · Chapter 2. Judicial Arbitration · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule requires the plaintiff, or any other party seeking affirmative relief, to notify both the arbitrator and the court when a case settles, using the settlement-notice procedure set out in rule 3.1385.
Full Text of Rule 3.829
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3.829 is short and functional: once a case settles, each plaintiff or other party seeking affirmative relief has to tell both the arbitrator and the court, following the notice procedure in rule 3.1385. That notice keeps the arbitrator from spending more time on a case that no longer needs a hearing or an award, and it keeps the court’s own case management on track.
This notice requirement also connects to other parts of the arbitration process. A timely notice of settlement is one of the events that can qualify an arbitrator for a fee under rule 3.819’s good-cause exception, and it is one of the filings that can head off entry of a judgment on an award under rule 3.827 if the case settles before the award becomes final.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to notify the court and arbitrator when a judicial arbitration case settles?
Each plaintiff or other party seeking affirmative relief must give notice, following the settlement-notice procedure in rule 3.1385.
Why does the arbitrator need to know about a settlement?
So the arbitrator doesn’t keep working on a case that no longer needs a hearing or an award, and so the arbitrator’s fee request, if any, reflects that the case settled.
Does this notice affect whether a judgment gets entered on an award?
Yes, indirectly. A settlement filed before an award becomes final can prevent the case from reaching the point where an award would be entered as a judgment.
Amendment History
Rule 3.829 amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; adopted as rule 1618 effective January 1, 1992; previously amended effective January 1, 2004.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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