Rule 2-504.Scheduling Order

Circuit Court · Last amended January 1, 2024 · Last verified July 13, 2026

In one sentenceRule 2-504 requires the circuit court to enter a scheduling order in almost every civil case, fixing the deadlines, such as expert disclosures, the close of discovery, and the dispositive-motions cutoff, that then govern how the case moves toward trial.

Full Text of Rule 2-504

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Order required. —

(1) Unless otherwise ordered by the County Administrative Judge for one or more specified categories of actions, the court shall enter a scheduling order in every civil action, whether or not the court orders a scheduling conference pursuant to Rule 2-504.1.

(2) The County Administrative Judge shall prescribe the general format of scheduling orders to be entered pursuant to this Rule. A copy of the prescribed format shall be furnished to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

(3) Unless the court orders a scheduling conference pursuant to Rule 2-504.1, the scheduling order shall be entered as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days after an answer is filed by any defendant. If the court orders a scheduling conference, the scheduling order shall be entered promptly after conclusion of the conference.

(b) Contents of scheduling order. —

(1) Required. — A scheduling order shall contain:

(A) an assignment of the action to an appropriate scheduling category of a differentiated case management system established pursuant to Rule 16-302;

(B) one or more dates by which each party shall identify each person whom the party expects to call as an expert witness at trial, including all information specified in Rule 2-402 (g) (1);

(C) one or more dates by which each party shall file the notice required by Rule 2-504.3 (b) concerning computer-generated evidence;

(D) a date by which all discovery must be completed;

(E) a date, not less than 35 days before the date for completion of discovery pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(D) of this Rule, after which no interrogatories, requests for admission, requests for production or inspection, or motions for physical or mental examination may be served; Committee note. — The dates set forth pursuant to subsections (b)(1)(D) and (E) of this Rule are not intended to alter a party’s obligation to supplement promptly discovery responses as required by Rule 2-401 (e).

(F) a date by which all dispositive motions must be filed, which shall be no earlier than 15 days after the date by which all discovery must be completed; Cross references. — See Rule 2-501 (a), which provides that after the date by which all dispositive motions are to be filed, a motion for summary judgment may be filed only with the permission of the court.

(G) a date by which any additional parties must be joined;

(H) a date by which amendments to the pleadings are allowed as of right; and

(I) any other matter resolved at a scheduling conference held pursuant to Rule 2-504.1.

(2) Permitted. — A scheduling order also may contain:

(A) any limitations on discovery otherwise permitted under these rules, including reasonable limitations on the number of interrogatories, depositions, requests for admissions, requests for production of documents, and other forms of discovery;

(B) the resolution of any disputes existing between the parties relating to discovery;

(C) a specific referral to or direction to pursue an available and appropriate form of alternative dispute resolution, including a requirement that individuals with authority to settle be present or readily available for consultation during the alternative dispute resolution proceeding, provided that the referral or direction conforms to the limitations of Rule 2-504.1 (e);

(D) an order designating or providing for the designation of a neutral expert to be called as the court’s witness;

(E) in an action involving child custody or child access, an order appointing child’s counsel in accordance with Rule 9-205.1;

(F) a further scheduling conference or pretrial conference date;

(G) provisions for discovery of electronically stored information;

(H) a process by which the parties may assert claims of privilege or of protection after production;

(I) procedures and requirements the court finds necessary when any proceedings in the action will be conducted by remote electronic participation pursuant to Title 2, Chapter 800 of these Rules; and

(J) any other matter pertinent to the management of the action.

(c) Modification of order. — The scheduling order controls the subsequent course of the action but shall be modified by the court to prevent injustice.

End

Amendment History

Added June 7, 1994, effective Oct. 1, 1994; amended June 10, 1997, effective July 1, 1997; Feb. 10, 1998, effective July 1, 1998; Oct. 5, 1998, effective Jan. 1, 1999; Nov. 12, 2003, effective Jan. 1, 2004; May 8, 2007, effective July 1, 2007; Dec. 4, 2007, effective Jan. 1, 2008; March 3, 2015, effective July 1, 2015; June 6, 2016, effective July 1, 2016; July 9, 2021, effective Oct. 1, 2021; February 9, 2022, effective April 1, 2022; April 21, 2023, effective July 1, 2023; November 28, 2023, effective January 1, 2024.

Committee Note & Source

Source. This Rule is in part new and in part derived as follows: Subsection (b)(2)(G) is new and is derived from the 2006 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 16 (b)(5). Subsection (b)(2)(H) is new and is derived from the 2006 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 16 (b)(6).

Plain-English Summary

Rule 2-504 makes a scheduling order the default in Maryland circuit court civil litigation. Unless the County Administrative Judge has exempted a category of cases, the court has to enter one in every action. If the case doesn't get a scheduling conference under Rule 2-504.1, the order has to issue as soon as practicable and no later than 30 days after any defendant files an answer; if there is a conference, the order follows promptly after it. The County Administrative Judge sets the general format for these orders within the circuit, with a copy going to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland.

The rule spells out what a scheduling order must contain: the case's assignment to a differentiated case-management category under Rule 16-302, deadlines for identifying expert witnesses with the information Rule 2-402(g)(1) requires, deadlines for the computer-generated-evidence notice under Rule 2-504.3(b), a discovery completion date, a cutoff (at least 35 days before that discovery deadline) after which no new interrogatories, admission requests, production requests, or examination motions can be served, a dispositive-motions filing deadline that must fall at least 15 days after discovery closes, a deadline to join additional parties, and a deadline for amending pleadings as of right. That dispositive-motions deadline matters well beyond Rule 2-504 itself: Rule 2-501(a) bars a summary judgment motion filed after it unless the court allows a late filing. Beyond the required items, a scheduling order may also address discovery limits, resolve existing discovery disputes, direct the parties toward alternative dispute resolution, designate a neutral expert as the court's own witness, appoint child's counsel in custody cases, set further conference dates, address electronically stored information and privilege-assertion procedures, set rules for remote participation, or cover any other matter useful to managing the case.

Once entered, the scheduling order controls how the rest of the case proceeds. It isn't fixed in stone, though: Rule 2-504(c) requires the court to modify it whenever necessary to prevent injustice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a scheduling order in a Maryland civil case?

It's the order, required in nearly every circuit court civil action under Rule 2-504(a), that sets the deadlines governing the case, including expert disclosures, the close of discovery, the cutoff for new discovery requests, the dispositive-motions deadline, joinder of additional parties, and amendments to pleadings as of right.

When must the scheduling order be entered in a Maryland civil case?

If there's no scheduling conference, Rule 2-504(a)(3) requires the order as soon as practicable and no later than 30 days after any defendant files an answer. If the court holds a scheduling conference under Rule 2-504.1, the order follows promptly after that conference instead.

What is the deadline to file dispositive motions under a Maryland scheduling order?

Rule 2-504(b)(1)(F) requires the scheduling order to set a dispositive-motions deadline that is no earlier than 15 days after the date discovery must be completed. Rule 2-501(a) then bars filing a summary judgment motion after that deadline unless the court permits it.

Can a Maryland scheduling order be changed once it's entered?

Yes. Rule 2-504(c) says the scheduling order controls the subsequent course of the action, but the court must modify it to prevent injustice.

Does every Maryland civil case get a scheduling order?

Almost every one. Rule 2-504(a)(1) requires the court to enter a scheduling order in every civil action unless the County Administrative Judge has ordered otherwise for one or more specified categories of actions.

Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: maryland scheduling ordercase management deadlines maryland circuit courtdiscovery cutoff maryland civil casedispositive motion deadline marylanddifferentiated case management maryland