Educational guide

California Civil Form Interrogatories: Request and Response Checklist

A practical general-information checklist for using or responding to Judicial Council form interrogatories in a California civil case, based on official California Courts guidance. It is not individualized legal advice, a discovery strategy or a deadline calculation.

1. Confirm the case type before selecting a form. California Courts identifies DISC-001 for common questions in unlimited civil cases and DISC-004 for limited civil cases, while other case types use different forms.
2. If requesting information, read every question and check only the boxes for questions relevant to the claims or defenses in the case. Complete the caption, identify the asking and answering parties, number the set and keep an exact copy.
3. Pay close attention to defined terms such as INCIDENT. The official form allows the standard definition or a case-specific definition; an unclear definition can make later questions difficult to answer accurately.
4. Check the discovery limits that apply to the case. California Courts explains that limited civil cases have a combined limit for specified written discovery, while form interrogatories in unlimited cases follow different rules.
5. Serve the interrogatories using the current California Courts instructions. Written discovery is generally served on each attorney or self-represented party rather than filed with the court, and the server must be an adult who is not a party.
6. If responding, calendar the deadline from the actual service method and date. California Courts states that responses are generally due 30 days after personal service and typically 35 days after mailing within California, but other methods or orders can change the calculation.
7. Answer each selected interrogatory separately, completely and truthfully with the information reasonably available. A substantive response is signed under oath, while an objection must be stated with a legally supportable basis; qualified legal help is important when privilege, privacy or scope is disputed.
8. Have a qualified nonparty adult serve the signed responses, complete proof of service and keep the response and service record together. Do not ignore interrogatories: the requesting party may seek a court order and sanctions when responses are missing or inadequate.

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