Amending pleadings in California. Amending pleadings in California is the topic of this blog post.

Feb 26, 2018 - Lawsuits begin when a party files a “complaint” in court.2 A. A plaintiff is entitled to amend their complaint as a matter of course any time before. A demurrer is often filed with the answer, but if it is not the defendant may file.

This blog post will discuss amending pleadings in California and the circumstances when leave to amend is required. Law authorizing amending pleadings in California. One of the main statutes governing amending pleadings in California is Code of Civil Procedure section 472 which states that, “Any pleading may be amended once by the party of course, and without costs, at any time before the answer or demurrer is filed, or after demurrer and before the trial of the issue of law thereon, by filing the same as amended and serving a copy on the adverse party, and the time in which the adverse party must respond thereto shall be computed from the date of notice of the amendment.” The same rule also applies to cross-complaints. And any part of the complaint may be changed without leave including the addition of new parties as plaintiff or defendant.

That is a critical distinction because a party who waits until after a demurrer hearing in which leave to amend is granted they can only amend those causes of action ruled upon at the demurrer hearing. If they try to add new causes of action they risk another demurrer on that basis. If a party wishes to add new parties or causes of action they should request leave of Court to add the new parties or causes of action in the event that the demurrer is sustained at the demurrer hearing. Note that while an answer can be amended without leave of Court if a demurrer has been filed to the answer, if no demurrer has been filed, the answer can be amended as a matter of right only during the time that a demurrer could have been filed which is within 10 days after the answer was filed. See Code of Civil Procedure Section 430.40(b). Normally, when a demurrer is sustained, or motion to strike is granted, some material allegation of the prior pleading has to be changed. An amended pleading making substantive changes (changes in material allegations) is treated as a new pleading, and must be served on all opposing parties-not just those who objected to the prior pleading.

When Court approval is required for amending pleadings in California. If leave to amend is needed and an answer has already been filed then a party must file a noticed motion to request it.

However the policy of law for both answers and complaints is that leave to amend should be liberally granted at any stage of the proceeding unless that would cause prejudice to the opposing party. Courts are bound to apply a policy of great liberality in permitting amendments “at any stage of the proceedings, up to and including trial,” absent prejudice to the adverse party.

Prejudice exists where the amendment would require delaying the trial, resulting in loss of critical evidence or added costs of preparation, increased burden of discovery, etc. Further, there is a right to amend “to correct inadvertent misstatements of facts or erroneous allegations of terms.” Courts usually display great liberality in allowing amendments to answers because “a defendant denied leave to amend is permanently deprived of a defense.” Sample motion for amending pleadings in California. Attorneys or parties in California that would like to view a portion of an 11 page sample motion for amending pleadings in California containing brief instructions, a memorandum of points and authorities with citations to case law and statutory authority, sample declaration and proof of service by mail sold by the author can see below. Over 300 sample legal documents for California and Federal litigation.

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