What happens if we can’t reach a settlement?
If you can’t reach a settlement, the Judge will schedule your case for Trial. Typically, the Trial will be scheduled within a week or less. You will have to tell the Judge the names of witnesses you expect to have at your Trial. Your landlord will do the same. You will also be given a date to exchange exhibits with your landlord. Exhibits are things like letters or pictures that you want the Court to see as proof of your side of the story. Exchanging exhibits is part of the discovery process. Discovery is the legal process where you obtain information from your landlord to help prove your case, and vice-versa.
It is VERY important to exchange your exhibits with your landlord on the date the Court ordered you to do so. If you do not exchange your exhibits by the court-ordered date, the Judge may not allow you to use them in the trial and you could lose because you will have no documents as evidence.