Rule 7. PRETRIAL CONFERENCES · Last amended 1997 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7.2 supplies the standard-form pretrial order Georgia superior courts use, requiring counsel to file it before trial with attorney assignments, stipulated facts, exhibit and witness lists, contested issues, and proposed verdict forms, after which it supersedes the pleadings except for changes needed to prevent manifest injustice.
At the pre-trial conference, or prior to that day if specified in the pre-trial calendar, counsel for each party shall have prepared and shall file with the court a proposed pre-trial order in substantially the following form:
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF _____ COUNTY STATE OF GEORGIA
CIVIL ACTION, CASE NO. ______
(STYLE OF CASE)
PRE-TRIAL ORDER
The following constitutes a Pre-Trial Order entered in the above-styled case after conference with counsel for the parties:
(1)The name, address and phone number of the attorneys who will conduct the trial are as follows:
Other _____________________________________________________________
(2)The estimated time required for trial is __________________________
(3)There are no motions or other matters pending for consideration by the court except as follows:_______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
(4)The jury will be qualified as to relationship with the following:
(5)a. All discovery has been completed, unless otherwise noted, and the court will not consider any further motions to compel discovery except for good cause shown. The parties, however, shall be permitted to take depositions of any person(s) for the preservation of evidence for use at trial.
b.Unless otherwise noted, the names of the parties as shown in the caption to this order are correct and complete and there is no question by any party as to the misjoinder or nonjoinder of any parties. (6) The following is the Plaintiff’s brief and succinct outline of the case and contentions: (USE SPACE AS NEEDED) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (7) The following is the Defendant’s brief and succinct outline of the case and contentions: (USE SPACE AS NEEDED) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (8) The issues for determination by the jury are as follows: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
(9)Specifications of negligence including applicable code sections are as follows: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (10) If the case is based on a contract, either oral or written, the terms of the contract are as follows (or, the contract is attached as an Exhibit to this order): ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (11) The types of damages and the applicable measure of those damages are stated as follows: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (12) If the case involves divorce, each party shall present to the court at the pre-trial conference the affidavits required by Rule 24.2. (13) The following facts are stipulated: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (14) The following is a list of all documentary and physical evidence that will be tendered at the trial by the Plaintiff or Defendant. Unless noted, the parties have stipulated as to the authenticity of the documents listed and the exhibits listed may be admitted without further proof of authenticity. All exhibits shall be marked by counsel prior to trial so as not to delay the trial before the jury. a. By the Plaintiff: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ b. By the Defendant: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (15) Special authorities relied upon by Plaintiff relating to peculiar evidentiary or other legal questions are as follows: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ (16) Special authorities relied upon by Defendant relating to peculiar evidentiary or other legal questions are as follows: ______________________________________________________________________________ (17) All requests to charge anticipated at the time of trial will be filed in accordance with Rule 10.3. (18) The testimony of the following persons may be introduced by depositions: ____________________________________________________________________________ Any objection to the depositions or questions or arguments in the depositions shall be called to the attention of the court prior to trial. (19) The following are lists of witnesses the a. Plaintiff will have present at trial: ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
b.Plaintiff may have present at trial: ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ c. Defendant will have present at trial: ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ d. Defendant may have present at trial: ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Opposing counsel may rely on representation that the designated party will have a witness present unless notice to the contrary is given in sufficient time prior to trial to allow the other party to subpoena the witness or obtain his testimony by other means. (20) The form of all possible verdicts to be considered by the jury are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________ (21)a. The possibilities of settling the case are: ____________________ b. The parties do/do not want the case reported. c. The cost of take-down will be paid by: _____________________________ d. Other matters: Submitted by: ________________________ ________________________ It is hereby ordered that the foregoing, including the attachments thereto, constitutes the PRE- TRIAL ORDER in the above case and supersedes the pleadings which may not be further amended except by order of the court to prevent manifest injustice. This _______ day of __________, 20__. _______________________ Judge, Superior Court ______ Judicial Circuit
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7.2 spells out, almost line by line, the pretrial order that Georgia superior court litigants have to fill in and file before trial. Rather than leaving the format to each lawyer’s judgment, the rule sets out a template — attorney names, an estimate of how long trial will take, a list of any motions still pending, and each side’s brief outline of what the case is about and what it contends. It reads like a checklist because that is what it is meant to be.
The order forces the parties to pin down, in writing, what is no longer in dispute. Counsel must state whether discovery is complete, list stipulated facts, and identify every document and physical exhibit that will come in at trial along with whether its authenticity is agreed. It also asks for damages theories, negligence specifications with the applicable code sections, any special legal authorities each side plans to rely on, and — cross-referencing Rule 10.3 — a note that requests to charge will be filed under that rule. Witness lists are broken into who will definitely appear and who might, so opposing counsel knows when it is safe to rely on a representation that a witness will be present.
Once the judge signs it, the pretrial order takes the place of the pleadings for the rest of the case. That is a meaningful shift: the pleadings framed the dispute up to this point, but from the pretrial order forward, the parties are largely bound by what they put in this document. It can be amended afterward only by court order and only to prevent manifest injustice, which keeps the order from becoming a moving target on the eve of trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What form does the Georgia pretrial order have to follow?
Substantially the form set out in Rule 7.2, covering attorney information, the parties’ contentions, discovery status, stipulations, exhibits, witness lists, and proposed verdict forms.
Does the pretrial order replace the pleadings?
Yes. Once entered, it constitutes the pretrial order in the case and supersedes the pleadings, which may not be further amended except by court order to prevent manifest injustice.
What must the order say about discovery?
That discovery has been completed, unless otherwise noted, and that the court will not consider further motions to compel absent good cause, though depositions to preserve evidence for trial remain permitted.
Do witness lists have to distinguish between certain and possible witnesses?
Yes. Each side lists witnesses it will have present and witnesses it may have present, and opposing counsel may rely on a “will have present” representation absent timely contrary notice.
What does the order say about requests to charge?
Item 17 of the form states that all requests to charge anticipated at trial will be filed in accordance with Rule 10.3.
Amendment History
Amended effective October 9, 1997.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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