Judge Kimberley Prochnau

Trial Information

Please refer to Judge Prochau's Family Law Trial Checklist as you prepare for trial.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR THIS COURT

• Please email the bailiff to schedule motions requiring oral argument.  Include the case name and number and the names of opposing counsel.  Such motions must be confirmed.
• DO NOT confirm motions without oral argument.  Set these in compliance with KCLR's notice requirements; you do not need the court's approval of the date.  Stipulations/agreed orders with signatures of all counsel do not need to be noted.
• If you are striking a motion or a case settles please notify the bailiff immediately.
• Motions without oral argument must include a proposed Order, envelopes addressed to all parties, and proof of delivery to all parties, such as a declaration of mailing.
• Motions and stipulations to continue trial dates must include the signature of the moving party, counsel's signature and a basis for the continuance.
• A default judgment motion must include an affidavit or declaration in support signed by a party with personal knowledge, in addition to the signature of counsel.
• Deliver working copies using the 'Working Papers' information at the top of this page.  Working copies must have the judge's name and the date of the hearing written in the upper right hand corner.
• Please comply with page limitations specified in the rule applicable to your motion.
• Please place bulky pleadings and attachments in a three ring binder with appropriate tabs and a Table of Contents.

Email Information

Before you send email to Judge Prochnau's court about a pending case, read the following information:

If your email violates the guidelines listed below, the bailiff may choose to simply delete your email without reading it.

• E-mail communication with the court/bailiff is appropriate ONLY to:

1. Schedule a hearing, pretrial conference, or settlement conference;
2. Provide electronic copies of proposed orders and asset/debt spreadsheets for trial
3. Arrange for an interpreter, to have an inmate brought from the jail, or for equipment needed for trial (such as a video player);
4. Advise the court of a settlement (to be immediately followed by formal written notice pursuant to CR 41(e);
5. Determine whether the judge will accept jury instructions, legal memoranda, and the like, in the form of an e-mail submission;
6. Request to appear by telephone where the person appearing telephonically will not be testifying;
7. Notify the court that a hearing is being cancelled or continued;
8. Notify the court, in an emergency, that a party or lawyer will be late for a hearing;
9. Contact regarding matters of a similar nature that would be appropriate to handle by way of a phone call to court staff.

• Any emails sent to the Court must be also sent to ALL OPPOSING ATTORNEYS AND ANY SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS.  Judges, and their staff, are not allowed to have one-sided communication with parties or their attorneys with respect to a pending case except as authorized by statute or rule.  (Email addresses to attorneys can generally be found on the Washington State Bar Association website (Lawyer Directory).  If you do not have an email address for a self-represented litigant, you must indicate this in your email and state what form of alternate notice is being given.)
  
  
• If you have other concerns or requests, you may set a hearing with notice to all opposing attorneys and any self-represented parties in accordance with the applicable court rules.  Do not use email to complain about the other party or attorney, to pass on information about issues in the case, or to request the judge to answer a question, except with respect to procedural issues as noted above.
  
  
• If you do not have an attorney you may wish to contact the King County Bar Association at 206-267-7010 to obtain a referral or, if this is a family law case, contact the Family Law Facilitators Office for forms and instructions.