Opinion ID: 1843757
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: miscellaneous suggestions

Text: The committees and interested individuals and groups who commented on the rules made numerous other suggestions, most of which are technical and most of which we have implemented. Some, however, have not been implemented at this time. For instance, in the response of the rules committee to the forms submitted by the steering committee, the rules committee suggests that the words custody and visitation be eliminated in the forms and instructions given that other terms such as shared parental responsibility and primary residency are now to be used in place of the terms custody and visitation. Likewise, the committee suggests that rule 12.440 be clarified to provide when uncontested final hearings are to be set by court order or notice of hearing and that the forms be amended accordingly. The committee submitted no proposed rules or forms to implement those changes. While we agree that these changes may need to be implemented, given the massive nature of the amendment of the 550-plus pages of the rules and forms in this case, we decline to adopt these recommendations until the rules or steering committee submits proposed rules and forms that specifically incorporate these suggestions. The rules committee has also asked that we adopt a new form for notice of lis pendens. Before adopting this form, we ask the rules committee to prepare an appropriate instruction sheet to advise litigants why and when that form is to be used.