Pending any determination of whether coordination is appropriate, the judge making that determination may stay any action being considered for, or affecting an action being considered for, coordination.
§ 404.5.Stay
Title 4. Of the Place of Trial, Reclassification, and Coordination of Civil Actions · Chapter 3. Coordination · Enacted 1972 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentence§ 404.5 lets the judge deciding whether to coordinate related actions stay any action being considered for coordination, or any action affected by one being considered, while that decision is pending.
Full Text of § 404.5
Plain-English Summary
Coordination determinations take time, and § 404.5 gives the deciding judge a tool for the interim: the power to stay any action under consideration for coordination, or any action affected by one under consideration, until the coordination question is resolved.
The stay is temporary by design -- it holds matters in place only until the coordination determination itself is made, not on an open-ended basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my case be paused while a coordination decision is pending?
Yes -- the judge deciding whether to coordinate may stay any action under consideration, or any action affected by one under consideration.
Is the stay limited to just the action being considered for coordination?
No -- it can also reach any other action affected by one being considered for coordination.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1972, Ch. 1162.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: stay pending coordination decision californiapause lawsuit coordination california