§ 2029.620.Subsequent petitions for relief

Discovery disputes tied to the same out-of-state case sometimes crop up more than once in the same California county, and this section lets a later dispute piggyback on the earlier filing rather than starting the process over. If a petition has already been filed under Section 2029.600 and a new dispute arises over discovery in the same county for the same out-of-state proceeding, the deponent or any other disputant can file a follow-on petition in that same superior court, and its first page has to clearly state that it isn't the first petition filed there for that case.

The fee structure adjusts based on what's already been paid. A petitioner who's a party to the out-of-state case and already paid a first-appearance fee pays a smaller motion fee instead; one who hasn't yet paid that fee pays it now. A petitioner who isn't a party pays the same non-party fee again, unless already paid, in which case a motion fee applies instead. Responding follows a similar pattern: someone who isn't a party, or a party who already paid a first-appearance fee, doesn't have to pay anything to respond, while a party who hasn't yet paid that fee has to pay it before responding.