News Post

Wouldn’t it be great if the circuit courts had an express lane that would let you check out quickly if your case didn’t involve a large sum and more witnesses than the cast of characters in Downton Abbey? That seems to be what the Supreme Court has in mind with the proposed Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure for Expedited Actions.  The rules, as currently proposed, would limit recovery to $50,000, written discovery to not more than 50 requests (inclusive of all interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admissions), depositions to the parties and one unrelated witness each, and discovery time to 120 days from the filing of the defendant’s answer to the complaint.  The proposed rules also provide for a standard expedited scheduling and discovery order in all covered cases. Committee Comments are also available for review.

The court is seeking written comments, which should be submitted no later than February 7th and should be addressed to Julia Jordan Weller, Clerk – Alabama Supreme Court, 300 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104.