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→Trial preparation conference
===Trial preparation conference===
Under Rule 8, a judge who sets a court proceeding for trial may also set a date for a trial preparation conference. Trial preparation conferences are short hearings before a judge in court to discuss how the trial will proceed and what, if any, additional steps must be taken to get the court proceeding ready for trial, such as exchanging documents and information, or organizing experts' reports.The specific rule about discovery and disclosure is at Rule 8(4):
<blockquote><tt>(4)The judge at the trial preparation conference may do one or more of the following:</tt></blockquote>
<blockquote><blockquote><tt>(f) order a party to bring to trial a record, specified in the order, that is or has been in the party's possession or control or, if not in the party's possession or control, is within that party's power; ...</tt></blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote><blockquote><tt>(j) make any order or give any direction that the judge considers appropriate.</tt></blockquote></blockquote>
This is just one of the reasons why it's important to prepare for trial preparation conferences. By the time this conference rolls around, you should be well on your way to being ready for your trial. You should have organized all of the documents and information you're going to need to prove your case, including all of the documents and information that you need from the other party. If you need anything from the other side to help you prepare your case — from income tax returns, to bank statements, to report cards, to doctors' reports, to paystubs — this is the time to ask for an order that the other give you copies of those things.
More information about trial preparation conferences can be found later in this chapter, in the section [[Family Law Trials in Provincial Court|Trials in the Provincial Court]].