Efficient trial advocacy requires keen knowledge of the Rules of Court to give effect to the intentions of cost-effectiveness, timeliness, and efficiency expressed in Rule 1.2. This paper provides an overview of the requirements and tools built into the Rules of Court that relate to trial procedure. Topics discussed include settlement; scheduling a trial; relying on and amending pleadings; trying claims/issues together or apart; discovery of records, questioning, and written interrogatories; and shortcuts and mechanisms for proving facts efficiently for trial.

This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Family Law Trial Fundamentals program in Calgary on November 17, 2016 and in Edmonton on November 22, 2016.