Attorney fee arbitration (MFAA): reject non-binding award and seek trial within 30 days after service of notice of award
30 days after date notice of the fee arbitration award was served, under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 6204(a), (b), (c); 6203(b).
Rule text
6204: "(b) If there is an action pending, the trial after arbitration shall be initiated by filing a rejection of arbitration award and request for trial after arbitration in that action within 30 days after service of notice of the award. ... (c) If no action is pending, the trial after arbitration shall be initiated by the commencement of an action in the court having jurisdiction over the amount of money in controversy within 30 days after service of notice of the award." 6203(b): "the arbitration award shall become binding upon the passage of 30 days after service of notice of the award, unless a party has, within the 30 days, sought a trial after arbitration pursuant to Section 6204."
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 6204(a), (b), (c); 6203(b), official source
Calculate this deadline
Deadline
Monday, December 7, 2026
- Trigger (Date notice of the fee arbitration award was served): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 30 calendar days: Sunday, December 6, 2026.
- That day is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, December 7, 2026 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)).
Rules applied
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 6204(a), (b), (c); 6203(b)
6204: "(b) If there is an action pending, the trial after arbitration shall be initiated by filing a rejection of arbitration award and request for trial after arbitration in that action within 30 days after service of notice of the award. ... (c) If no action is pending, the trial after arbitration shall be initiated by the commencement of an action in the court having jurisdiction over the amount of money in controversy within 30 days after service of notice of the award." 6203(b): "the arbitration award shall become binding upon the passage of 30 days after service of notice of the award, unless a party has, within the 30 days, sought a trial after arbitration pursuant to Section 6204."Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)
CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a(a): "If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays." Gov. Code 6707: "When the last day for filing any instrument or other document with a state agency falls upon a Saturday or holiday, such act may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed." FRCP 6(a): "The following rules apply in computing any time period specified in these rules, in any local rule or court order, or in any statute that does not specify a method of computing time. (1) ... (A) exclude the day of the event that triggers the period; (B) count every day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and (C) include the last day of the period, but if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday."Official source
- Only if the parties did not agree in writing to be bound. A party who willfully failed to appear at the arbitration hearing is not entitled to trial. AMBIGUITY: whether CCP 1013 adds 5 days when the award is served by mail is not stated in 6204; modeled without extension (earlier date). Award becomes binding on the same day if no timely rejection (6203(b)).
- If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.
This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.
Worked example
Date notice of the fee arbitration award was served on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Wednesday, April 14, 2027.
- Trigger (Date notice of the fee arbitration award was served): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 30 calendar days: Wednesday, April 14, 2027.
Notes
Only if the parties did not agree in writing to be bound. A party who willfully failed to appear at the arbitration hearing is not entitled to trial. AMBIGUITY: whether CCP 1013 adds 5 days when the award is served by mail is not stated in 6204; modeled without extension (earlier date). Award becomes binding on the same day if no timely rejection (6203(b)).
Related deadlines
- Employment/consumer arbitration: drafting party must pay initiation fees within 30 days after due date (30 days after)
- Employment/consumer arbitration: drafting party must pay continuation fees within 30 days after due date (30 days after)
- Attorney fee arbitration (MFAA): client requests arbitration within 30 days after receipt of attorney's notice of right to arbitrate (30 days after)
- Attorney fee arbitration: defendants' responsive pleading 30 days after service of plaintiff's rejection of award (30 days after)
- Attorney fee arbitration: defendants' responsive pleading 30 days after filing of defendant's rejection of award (30 days after)
- UM arbitration: insured must furnish wage-loss information or medical record releases within 10 days of a renewed (subd. (o)) request (10 days after)
- UM arbitration: insurer-arranged medical exam under subd. (o) must be set not later than 20 days after request (and not sooner than 10 days unless insured agrees) (20 days after)
- UM arbitration: last day for insurer to make subd. (o) wage/medical/exam request (more than 30 days before arbitration commences) (31 days before)
Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.