2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 8.63. Policies and factors governing extensions of time
(a) Policies
(1) The time limits prescribed by these rules should generally be met to ensure expeditious conduct of appellate business and public confidence in the efficient administration of appellate justice.
(2) The effective assistance of counsel to which a party is entitled includes adequate time for counsel to prepare briefs or other documents that fully advance the party's interests. Adequate time also allows the preparation of accurate, clear, concise, and complete submissions that assist the courts.
(3) For a variety of legitimate reasons, counsel may not always be able to prepare briefs or other documents within the time specified in the rules of court. To balance the competing policies stated in (1) and (2), applications to extend time in the reviewing courts must demonstrate good cause--or an exceptional showing of good cause, when required by these rules--under (b). If good cause is shown, the court must extend the time.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2007.)
(b) Factors considered
In determining good cause--or an exceptional showing of good cause, when required by these rules--the court must consider the following factors when applicable:
(1) The degree of prejudice, if any, to any party from a grant or denial of the extension. A party claiming prejudice must support the claim in detail.
(2) In a civil case, the positions of the client and any opponent with regard to the extension.
(3) The length of the record, including the number of relevant trial exhibits. A party relying on this factor must specify the length of the record. In a civil case, a record containing one volume of clerk's transcript or appendix and two volumes of reporter's transcript is considered an average-length record.
(4) The number and complexity of the issues raised. A party relying on this factor must specify the issues.
(5) Whether there are settlement negotiations and, if so, how far they have progressed and when they might be completed.
(6) Whether the case is entitled to priority.
(7) Whether counsel responsible for preparing the document is new to the case.
(8) Whether other counsel or the client needs additional time to review the document.
(9) Whether counsel responsible for preparing the document has other time-limited commitments that prevent timely filing of the document. Mere conclusory statements that more time is needed because of other pressing business will not suffice. Good cause requires a specific showing of other obligations of counsel that:
(A) Have deadlines that as a practical matter preclude filing the document by the due date without impairing its quality; or
(B) Arise from cases entitled to priority.
(10) Illness of counsel, a personal emergency, or a planned vacation that counsel did not reasonably expect to conflict with the due date and cannot reasonably rearrange.
(11) Any other factor that constitutes good cause in the context of the case.
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2023; previously amended effective January 1, 2007.)
Rule 8.63 amended effective January 1, 2023; repealed and adopted as rule 45.5 effective January 1, 2005; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007.
Advisory Committee Comment
An exceptional showing of good cause is required in applications in certain juvenile proceedings under rules 8.416, 8.417, 8.450, 8.452, and 8.454.