§ 630.03.Agreement to Participate

Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 4.5. Voluntary Expedited Jury Trials · Last amended 2016 · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 630.03 requires all participating parties and counsel to sign a proposed consent order after a dispute has arisen, makes the agreement binding absent a stipulation to end it or a court finding of good cause, mandates court approval for self-represented and vulnerable litigants, and spells out what the consent order must contain before the court issues it or denies it outright.

Full Text of § 630.03

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) All parties agreeing to participate in an expedited jury trial and, if represented, their counsel, shall sign a proposed consent order granting an expedited jury trial.

(b) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the agreement to participate in the expedited jury trial process is binding upon the parties, unless either of the following occurs:

(1) All parties stipulate to end the agreement to participate.

(2) The court, on its own motion or at the request of a party by noticed motion, finds that good cause exists for the action not to proceed under the rules of this chapter.

(c) Any agreement to participate in an expedited jury trial under this chapter may be entered into only after a dispute has arisen and an action has been filed.

(d) The court shall approve the use of an expedited jury trial and any high/low agreements or other stipulations for an expedited jury trial involving either of the following:

(1) A self-represented litigant.

(2) A minor, an incompetent person, or a person for whom a conservator has been appointed.

(e) The proposed consent order submitted to the court shall include all of the following:

(1) A preliminary statement that each named party and any insurance carrier responsible for providing coverage or defense on behalf of that party, individually identified in the proposed consent order, have been informed of the rules and procedures for an expedited jury trial and provided with a Judicial Council information sheet regarding expedited jury trials, have agreed to take part in or, in the case of a responsible insurance carrier, not object to, the expedited jury trial process, and have agreed to all the specific provisions set forth in the consent order.

(2) The parties' agreement to all of the following:

(A) That all parties waive all rights to appeal and to move for directed verdict or make any post-trial motions, except as provided in Sections 630.08 and 630.09.

(B) That each side shall have up to five hours in which to complete voir dire and to present its case.

(D) That each side shall be limited to three peremptory challenges, unless the court permits an additional challenge in cases with more than two sides as provided in Section 630.04.

(E) That the trial and pretrial matters will proceed under subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, and, unless the parties expressly agree otherwise in the proposed consent order, under all other provisions in this chapter and in the implementing rules of court.

(f) The court shall issue the consent order as proposed by the parties, unless the court finds good cause why the action should not proceed through the expedited jury trial process, in which case the court shall deny the proposed consent order in its entirety.

End

Plain-English Summary

An expedited jury trial starts with a proposed consent order that every participating party, and any represented party's counsel, must sign. The agreement can only be reached after a dispute has already arisen and a lawsuit has been filed — it isn't a pre-dispute waiver built into a contract.

Once signed, the agreement binds the parties unless everyone stipulates to end it, or the court, on its own motion or a party's noticed motion, finds good cause for the case not to proceed under this chapter. Two categories of litigants get an extra layer of protection: a self-represented party, and a minor, incompetent person, or person with a conservator. For them, the court itself must approve the expedited process and any high/low agreement or related stipulation, rather than leaving it purely to the parties.

Subdivision (e) lists what the proposed consent order has to contain — a statement that every named party and any responsible insurer has been informed of the process and received the Judicial Council's information sheet, and the parties' agreement to waive appeal and most post-trial motions except as §§ 630.08 and 630.09 allow, to cap each side at five hours for voir dire and its case, to use a jury of eight or fewer with no alternates, and to limit peremptory challenges to three per side (subject to § 630.04's rule for cases with more than two sides). The court issues the consent order as proposed unless it finds good cause the case shouldn't proceed this way — in which case it denies the whole order, not just part of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can parties agree to an expedited jury trial?

Only after a dispute has arisen and an action has been filed — this chapter doesn't apply to a pre-dispute waiver written into a contract.

Can a party back out of an expedited jury trial agreement?

Only if all parties stipulate to end it, or the court finds good cause for the case not to proceed under this chapter, either on its own motion or a party's noticed motion.

Does the court have to approve every expedited jury trial agreement?

The court must specifically approve the process, and any high/low agreement, whenever a self-represented litigant, a minor, an incompetent person, or a person with a conservator is involved.

What must the proposed consent order include?

A statement that the parties and any responsible insurer were informed of the process, plus the parties' agreement to waive most appeal and post-trial rights, cap voir dire and case presentation at five hours per side, use a jury of eight or fewer, and limit peremptory challenges to three per side.

What happens if the court finds good cause not to proceed with the expedited trial?

The court denies the proposed consent order in its entirety rather than approving part of it.

Amendment History

Amended by Stats 2015 ch 330 (AB 555),s 2, eff. 1/1/2016. Added by Stats 2010 ch 674 (AB 2284),s 2, eff. 1/1/2011.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from the California Legislative Information. Enacted by the California Legislature. Last verified July 28, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: expedited jury trial consent order californiavoluntary expedited jury trial agreement