Objections, if any, to a reference or to the referee or referees appointed by the court shall be made in writing, and must be heard and disposed of by the court, not by the referee.
§ 642.Objections In Writing and Heard By Court
Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 6. Of References and Trials by Referees · Enacted 2000 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 642 requires any objection to a reference or to the appointed referee to be made in writing and decided by the court itself, not by the referee whose appointment is being challenged.
Full Text of § 642
Plain-English Summary
This section keeps the decision about whether a reference or referee is proper out of the referee's own hands. Any objections have to be put in writing, and it's the court — not the referee — that hears and disposes of them.
That allocation makes sense on its own terms: a referee ruling on an objection to their own appointment would be deciding a question about their own qualification to decide anything at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides an objection to a referee's appointment?
The court, not the referee whose appointment or fitness is being challenged.
Do objections to a reference have to be in writing?
Yes, § 642 requires objections to be made in writing.
Amendment History
Added by Stats 2000 ch 644 (AB 2912), s 7, eff. 1/1/2001.
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: objections to referee heard by court