California civil litigation deadline guide

General information for California litigators, not legal advice. Always confirm dates against the current code, rules, and any applicable standing orders.

Counting from service: CCP §1013

Many California deadlines run from the date a paper is served, and the method of service can extend the time to respond. Code of Civil Procedure section 1013 sets out the extensions that apply when service is made by mail, overnight delivery, or electronic service rather than personal delivery. Counting correctly starts with identifying the service method on the proof of service.

Detailed extension tables by service method are drafted in a follow-up copy session.

Motion to compel timing

Motions to compel further discovery responses are governed by tight windows that run from the date the responses were served, subject to extensions and the parties' meet-and-confer obligations. The triggering date — and any agreement to extend it — should be documented in the matter.

Worked examples for interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission are pending.

The anti-SLAPP window

A special motion to strike under CCP §425.16 carries a defined filing window measured from service of the challenged pleading, with limited room for the court to permit a later motion. Because the motion can stay discovery and shift fees, the deadline deserves early attention.

How Discover Docket handles this

Discover Docket reads the triggering event and service method from your file and maintains the deadline chain as the matter moves — accounting for California timing rules so the count is not done by hand. See the litigation engine for more.