Rule 7.030.Complex Cases
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 7.030
Plain-English Summary
Some cases will not fit the standard calendar, and this rule gives them a door. Any party may apply to the presiding judge to have the matter designated a complex case. The application is made to the presiding judge, not to the judge who happens to be handling a motion that week.
The rule lists criteria the presiding judge may weigh: the number of parties, how complex the legal issues are, the expected extent and difficulty of discovery, and the anticipated length of trial. That list is a floor rather than a ceiling, since the rule says the criteria are not limited to the ones it names.
Designation changes who handles the case. The presiding judge must assign a complex case to a specific judge, who then carries full or partial responsibility for it as the presiding judge determines. Continuity is the point: a judge who learns the case keeps it.
Designation also changes the calendar. A complex case is not subject to the time limitation or the trial setting procedures in UTCR 7.020(5), (6), and (7). It still has to be set for trial as soon as practical, and in any event within two years from the date of filing, unless the assigned judge extends that date for good cause shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a case designated complex in Oregon?
Any party may apply to the presiding judge. The rule sets no form and no deadline, so the application should do the work itself: describe the parties, the issues, the discovery ahead, and the trial time the case will need.
What makes a case complex under this rule?
The rule names the number of parties, the complexity of the legal issues, the expected extent and difficulty of discovery, and the anticipated length of trial. It then says the criteria are not limited to those, so a party can argue other features of the case that make ordinary calendaring a poor fit.
Does a complex case get its own judge?
Yes. The presiding judge must assign the case to a specific judge. How much of the case that judge takes on is up to the presiding judge, who may give the assigned judge full or partial responsibility for it.
Do the usual trial setting steps still apply?
No. A complex case is exempt from the time limitation and the trial setting procedures in UTCR 7.020(5), (6), and (7), which are the subsections that cap how late the trial date may fall and give the parties their window to pick a date.
Is there still an outside date for trial?
Yes. The case must be set as soon as practical and, in any event, within two years from the date of filing. The assigned judge may extend that date for good cause shown, so the two year mark is a working limit rather than a wall.