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LASC has modified its services because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak. The Probate Division of LASC would like the Bar to know the following:
• Effective March 20, 2020, "traditional/live" ex partes are being processed and decided on a daily basis solely upon the documents filed with the court. Opposed ex partes may be set for future hearing in the department pursuant to LASC Rule 4.12(c)(1). Except for ex partes set for hearing, no one involved in ex partes should appear at Stanley Mosk Courthouse or wait in the Probate Hall near Room 260. A Probate Attorney will not be available there to interact with anyone. The order on the ex parte will be electronically returned to Bar members in a very timely manner. Questions or issues may be sent to ProbateExPartes@lacourt.org.
• Please consider submitting requests for relief as drop-off ex partes to the extent possible. Drop-off ex partes are now being processed and returned on a very timely basis.
• Hearings on petitions for temporary guardianships and temporary conservatorships are the only matters that will remain on calendar.
• All other matters scheduled for hearing on March 17, 2020 through April 16, 2020 have been continued to at least April 17, 2020 pursuant to an order of Presiding Judge Kevin Brazile. Do not attempt to appear in court on those matters. Those hearings have been continued even if the continuance has not yet been entered into the court case management system and even if you have not yet received notice of the continuance or the continued hearing date. Petitioners will receive notice of the continued hearing date soon and will be required to then notice other parties in the case.
• Probate notes for the matters continued to April 17, 2020 and later will begin to appear on the court's website approximately two weeks before each hearing.
• The clerk's office (including filing windows) will be closed as of this Monday, March 23, 2020. A drop box will be available there for very limited filings (e.g., for self represented litigants who need to file documents in relation to ex partes, petitions for temporary guardianships/conservatorships, and TROs). Those documents will be processed timely and will be available quickly to judges and Probate legal staff if they are related to ex partes and other urgent matters.
• The court will continue to process and return proposed orders and drop-off ex partes that were submitted prior to this period and those that are submitted on an ongoing basis. As an upside to the continuance of most upcoming hearings, staff has been diverted to the processing of the proposed order backlog and to newly-submitted proposed orders. Those orders are making their way through the system and will be returned to the submitting parties soon.
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