(a) Purposes of a pretrial conference. In any action, the court must on the request of any party, or may without a request, order the attorneys for the parties and any unrepresented parties to appear for one or more conferences to expedite processing and disposition of the litigation, minimize expense and conserve time.
K.S.A. 60-216.Pretrial conferences; case management conference
Last amended July 1, 2017 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceK.S.A. 60-216 governs pretrial and case management conferences, requiring a case management conference within 45 days of an answer being filed to set the discovery schedule and other litigation deadlines, and authorizes sanctions -- including mandatory fee-shifting -- against a party or attorney who fails to appear or comply.
Full Text of K.S.A. 60-216
(b) Case management conference. In any action, the court must on the request of any party, or may without a request, conduct a case management conference with attorneys and any unrepresented parties. The court must schedule the conference as soon as possible. The conference must be conducted within 45 days after the filing of an answer, unless the court extends the time to meet the needs of the case.
(1) At a case management conference the court must consider and take appropriate action on the following matters:
(A) Identifying the issues and exploring the possibilities of stipulations and settlement;
(B) determining whether the action is suitable for alternative dispute resolution;
(C) exchanging information on the issues, including key documents and witness identification;
(D) establishing a plan and schedule for discovery, including setting limits on discovery, if any, designating the time and place of discovery, restricting discovery to certain designated witnesses or requiring statements be taken in writing or by use of electronic recording rather than by stenographic transcription;
(E) determining issues relating to disclosure, discovery or preservation of electronically stored information, including the form or forms in which it should be produced;
(F) determining issues relating to claims of privilege or of protection as trial-preparation material, including any agreements the parties reach for asserting claims of privilege or of protection as trial-preparation material after information is produced, including agreements reached under K.S.A. 60-426a, and amendments thereto;
(G) requiring completion of discovery within a definite number of days after the conference has been conducted;
(H) setting deadlines for filing motions, joining parties and amendments to the pleadings;
(I) setting the date or dates for conferences before trial, a final pretrial conference, and trial; and
(J) such other matters as are necessary for the proper management of the action.
(2) If a case management conference is held, no depositions, other than of the parties may be taken until after the conference is held, except by agreement of the parties, by order of the court or as provided in K.S.A. 60-230(a)(2)(B), and amendments thereto. If the case management conference is not held within 45 days after the filing of an answer, the restrictions of this paragraph no longer apply.
(3) If discovery cannot be completed within the time originally prescribed by the court, the party not able to complete discovery may file a motion for additional time to complete discovery. The motion must be filed prior to the expiration of the original period, contain a discovery plan and state the reason why discovery cannot be completed within the original period. If additional time is allowed, the court must grant only that amount of time reasonably necessary to complete discovery.
(c) Attendance and matters for consideration at a pretrial conference.
(1) Attendance. A represented party must authorize at least one of its attorneys to make stipulations and admissions about all matters that can be reasonably anticipated for discussion at a pretrial conference. If appropriate, the court may require that a party or its representative be present or reasonably available by other means in order to consider possible settlement of the dispute. The court may allow a pretrial conference to be held by a telephone conference call or other means.
(2) Matters for consideration. At any pretrial conference, the court may consider and take appropriate action on the following matters:
(A) Simplifying the issues;
(B) determining the issues of law that may eliminate or affect the trial of issues of fact;
(C) amending the pleadings if necessary or desirable;
(D) obtaining admissions and stipulations about facts and documents to avoid unnecessary proof;
(E) limiting the number of expert witnesses;
(F) referring issues to a master; and
(G) such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action, including alternative dispute resolution.
(d) Pretrial orders. After any conference held under this section, the court should issue an order reciting the action taken. This order controls the subsequent course of the action unless the court modifies it.
(e) Final pretrial conference and orders. In any action, the court must on the request of any party, or may without a request, conduct a final pretrial conference in accordance with procedures established by rule of the supreme court. The court may modify the order issued after a final pretrial conference only to prevent manifest injustice.
(f) Sanctions.
(1) In general. On motion or on its own, and after opportunity to be heard, the court may issue any just orders, including those authorized by K.S.A. 60-237(b)(2)(A)(ii) through (vii), and amendments thereto, if a party or its attorney:
(A) Fails to appear at a case management or other pretrial conference;
(B) is substantially unprepared to participate, or does not participate in good faith, in the conference; or
(C) fails to obey a scheduling or other pretrial order.
(2) Imposing fees and costs. Instead of, or in addition to any other sanction, the court must order the party, its attorney, or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, incurred because of any noncompliance with this section, unless the noncompliance was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
Amendment History
L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-216; L. 1986, ch. 215, § 4; L. 1997, ch. 173, § 9; L. 2008, ch. 21, § 1; L. 2010, ch. 135, § 83; L. 2017, ch. 75, § 3; July 1.
Plain-English Summary
Subsection (a) lets the court call a pretrial conference in any action -- on request the court must, and on its own it may -- to expedite the litigation, cut expense, and save time. Subsection (b) adds a more specific requirement: a case management conference, which the court must hold on any party's request or may schedule on its own, and must convene within 45 days after an answer is filed unless the court extends that window for the needs of the case. At that conference the court must take up a long list of subjects: identifying issues and exploring settlement or stipulations, weighing alternative dispute resolution, exchanging key documents and witness information, setting a discovery plan and schedule (including limits, timing, and location), addressing electronically stored information and privilege or trial-preparation claims, setting a discovery completion deadline, setting deadlines for motions, joinder, and amendments, and scheduling further conferences, the final pretrial conference, and trial.
The case management conference carries real teeth for discovery timing. Paragraph (b)(2) bars depositions of anyone but the parties themselves until the conference is held, unless the parties agree otherwise, the court orders otherwise, or K.S.A. 60-230(a)(2)(B) applies -- though that restriction disappears entirely if the conference isn't held within the 45-day window. Paragraph (b)(3) lets a party who can't finish discovery on time ask for more, but the motion has to be filed before the original deadline runs out, include an actual discovery plan, and explain why more time is needed; if the court grants the request, it can only add the time reasonably necessary to finish.
Subsection (c) covers attendance and the substance of a pretrial conference: a represented party must authorize at least one attorney to make stipulations and admissions on everything reasonably expected to come up, the court can require a party's presence or availability to discuss settlement, and the conference can be held by phone or similar means. At the conference the court can simplify issues, resolve legal questions that narrow the factual trial, amend pleadings, obtain admissions and stipulations, limit expert witnesses, refer issues to a master, and take other steps that help resolve the case. Subsection (d) makes the resulting order control the rest of the case unless later modified, and subsection (e) sets a final pretrial conference under the state supreme court's own procedures, with any order from it modifiable only to prevent manifest injustice. Subsection (f) lets the court sanction a party or attorney who fails to appear, comes unprepared or doesn't participate in good faith, or disobeys a scheduling or pretrial order -- and requires the court to order payment of the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, caused by that noncompliance unless the failure was substantially justified or an award would be unjust.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after an answer is filed must Kansas courts hold a case management conference?
Subsection (b) requires the conference within 45 days after the answer is filed, unless the court extends that time to meet the needs of the case.
Can depositions happen before the case management conference?
Generally not, for anyone besides the parties themselves. Paragraph (b)(2) restricts non-party depositions until after the conference, unless the parties agree, the court orders otherwise, or K.S.A. 60-230(a)(2)(B) applies -- and the restriction lifts entirely if the conference isn't held within 45 days.
What do I need to do if I can't finish discovery by the deadline the court set?
Paragraph (b)(3) requires filing a motion before the original discovery period expires, including a discovery plan and explaining why discovery can't be completed on time. The court, if it grants more time, gives only what's reasonably necessary.
What happens if I show up unprepared to a pretrial conference?
Subsection (f)(1) allows the court to issue any just order, including sanctions under K.S.A. 60-237(b)(2)(A)(ii) through (vii), against a party or attorney who is substantially unprepared or doesn't participate in good faith. Subsection (f)(2) then requires the court to order payment of the reasonable expenses and attorney's fees caused by that noncompliance, unless it was substantially justified or unjust to award.
Can the final pretrial order be changed later?
Only to prevent manifest injustice. Subsection (e) sets that as the sole ground for modifying an order issued after the final pretrial conference.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from the
Kansas Statutes Annotated, enacted by the Kansas Legislature. Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: kansas case management conference deadline60-216 kansas pretrial conferencekansas discovery scheduling orderfinal pretrial order kansaspretrial conference sanctions kansas