San Mateo Superior Court Page & Word Limits

52 rules from official source documents

28 of 52 checked against the court's document. Each rule says how far it was checked. A value with a question mark is not in the court's wording on its card.

Maximum page counts and word limits for motions, briefs, and other filings by judge. This page is scoped to San Mateo Superior Court; use the court rules overview to switch categories without leaving this court.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Limit: 6800 words
Applies to: Brief

Appellate briefs are limited to 6,800 words absent prior Appellate Division approval; tables of contents and authorities are excluded, while footnotes count toward the limit.

No brief shall exceed 6,800 words in length without prior approval of the Appellate Division. (CRC rule 8.883(b).) Tables of contents and/or authorities are excluded from this limitation, but footnotes are included.

Court-level rulesOfficial source

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Discovery dispute summary

The electronic letter summarizing the discovery dispute may not exceed five pages.

Within five (5) calendar days of the initial email request to the Court for an Informal Discovery Request, the disputing parties shall, jointly or separately, email correspondence to the Court at IDC@sanmateocourt.org, and contemporaneously to all parties, an electronic letter of no more than five (5) pages, without attachments, summarizing the discovery dispute(s).

Court-level rulesOfficial source

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Discovery dispute letter

The electronic letter summarizing the discovery dispute may not exceed five pages.

Within five (5) calendar days of the initial email request to the Court for an Informal Discovery Request, the disputing parties shall, jointly or separately, email correspondence to the Court at IDC@sanmateocourt.org and contemporaneously to all parties, an electronic letter of no more than five (5) pages, without attachments, summarizing the discovery dispute(s).

Court-level rulesOfficial source

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Electronic letter

The electronic discovery-dispute correspondence is limited to five pages and must not include attachments.

Within five (5) calendar days of the initial email request to the Court for an Informal Discovery Request, the disputing parties shall, jointly or separately, email correspondence to the department email address for the Family Law Commissioner, and contemporaneously to all parties, an electronic letter of no more than five (5) pages, without attachments, summarizing the discovery dispute(s).

Court-level rulesOfficial source

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Motion in limine

A motion in limine may not exceed five pages unless the Court permits otherwise.

Each motion in limine should address a single, separate topic and shall be limited to five (5) pages in length unless otherwise permitted by the Court.

Judge David A. Silberman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed instruction explanation

Each party’s explanation following a disputed jury instruction is limited to one page.

Following each disputed instruction, each party shall explain, in no more than one page, why the Court should give that party’s proposed instruction or why the instruction should or should not be given.

Judge David A. Silberman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 3 pages
Applies to: Informal conference brief

An optional informal-conference brief may be emailed to the Court, must be on court pleading paper, may not exceed three pages, and must be served.

For these informal conferences, briefs on court pleading paper not to exceed three (3) pages – which must be served – may be submitted by email to the Court at dept11@sanmateocourt.org and complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org.

Judge David A. Silberman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Exhibit dispute explanation
Spacing: Double

An unresolved competing-exhibit dispute must be submitted with the Joint Pretrial Conference Statement, supported by no more than one double-spaced page of explanation.

If the parties are unable to informally resolve the dispute, then each party shall submit its disputed exhibit with the Joint Pretrial Conference Statement and explain, in no more than one double-spaced page, why the Court should use its proposed exhibit.

Judge David A. Silberman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 3 pages
Applies to: Informal conference brief

An informal-conference brief may not exceed three pages.

For these informal conferences, briefs on court pleading paper not to exceed three (3) pages – which must be served – may be submitted by email to the Court at dept2@sanmateocourt.org and complexcivil@sanmatecourt.org.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Jury instructions

Each party’s explanation following a disputed jury instruction may not exceed one page.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Motion in limine

Each motion in limine must address one separate topic and may not exceed five pages unless the court permits otherwise.

Each MIL should address a single, separate topic and shall be limited to five (5) pages in length unless otherwise permitted by the Court.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed instruction explanation

Each party’s explanation for a disputed jury instruction may not exceed one page.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Motion in limine

Each motion in limine is limited to five pages and should address one separate topic unless the court permits otherwise.

45. Each MIL should address a single, separate topic and shall be limited to five (5) pages in length unless otherwise permitted by the Court.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed exhibit submission
Spacing: Double

If an overlapping-exhibit dispute is not informally resolved, each party must submit the disputed exhibit with the Joint Pretrial Conference Statement and provide an explanation in no more than one double-spaced page.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Informal conference brief

Informal conference briefs must be on court pleading paper, must not exceed five pages, must be served, and may be submitted by email to the Court.

For these informal conferences, briefs on court pleading paper not to exceed five (5) pages – which must be served – may be submitted by email to the Court at dept20@sanmateocourt.org and complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org.

Judge Michael L. Mau

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Discovery conference brief

Each side must serve and email an IDC brief no longer than five pages to both listed court email addresses at least three court days before the conference.

23. For the IDC, each side must serve and email to the Court at both dept20@sanmateocourt.org and complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org a short brief limited to no more than five (5) pages, at least three (3) court days before the IDC.

Judge Michael L. Mau

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 10 pages
Applies to: Trial brief

The trial brief is limited to 10 pages.

Trial Brief (10-page limit)

Judge Michael L. Mau

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Motions in limine

Each motion in limine must address a single separate topic and may not exceed five pages unless the Court permits otherwise.

Each motion in limine should address a single, separate topic and shall be limited to five (5) pages in length unless otherwise permitted by the Court.

Judge Michael L. Mau

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed exhibit explanation
Spacing: Double

An explanation of why the Court should use a proposed overlapping exhibit may not exceed one double-spaced page.

Judge Michael L. Mau

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 5 pages
Applies to: Motion

Each motion in limine should address one separate topic and is limited to five pages unless the court permits otherwise.

Each motion in limine should address a single, separate topic and shall be limited to five (5) pages in length unless otherwise permitted by the Court.

Judge Nicole S. Healy

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Jury instruction explanation

Each party’s explanation following a disputed jury instruction is limited to one page.

Judge Nicole S. Healy

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed exhibit submission
Spacing: Double

The explanation supporting a party’s proposed treatment of a disputed exhibit is limited to one double-spaced page.

Judge Nicole S. Healy

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Disputed exhibit explanation
Spacing: Double

An unresolved disputed exhibit must be submitted with the Joint Pretrial Conference Statement and supported by an explanation of no more than one double-spaced page.

Judge Nicole S. Healy

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Proposed statement of the case
Spacing: Double

Unless the case is very complex, the proposed statement of the case should not exceed one page and should be double-spaced.

Unless the case is very complex, this statement should not exceed one-page double spaced.

Judge David A. Silberman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Proposed statement of the case
Spacing: Double

Unless the case is very complex, the proposed statement of the case may not exceed one double-spaced page.

Unless the case is very complex, this statement should not exceed one-page double spaced.

Judge Mark A. McCannon

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Proposed statement of case
Spacing: Double

Unless the case is very complex, the proposed statement of the case should not exceed one page and should be double-spaced.

Unless the case is very complex, this statement should not exceed one-page double spaced.

Judge Nancy L. Fineman

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Limit: 1 pages
Applies to: Proposed statement of the case
Spacing: Double

Unless the case is very complex, the proposed statement of the case should not exceed one page and should be double-spaced.

Unless the case is very complex, this statement should not exceed one-page double spaced.

Judge Nicole S. Healy

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Limit: 3 pages
Applies to: Informal conference brief

An optional informal-conference brief may be submitted by email but may not exceed three pages and must be prepared on court pleading paper and served.

For these informal conferences, briefs on court pleading paper not to exceed three (3) pages – which must be served – may be submitted by email to the Court at dept28@sanmateocourt.org and complexcivil@sanmateocourt.org.

Judge Nicole S. Healy