Referee or commissioner: written statement of decision (report) due 20 days after hearing concluded and matter submitted (unless court directs otherwise)

20 days after date the hearing before the referee concluded and the matter was submitted, under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 643(a).

Rule text

(a) Unless otherwise directed by the court, the referees or commissioner must report their statement of decision in writing to the court within 20 days after the hearing, if any, has been concluded and the matter has been submitted.

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 643(a), official source

Calculate this deadline

Deadline
Monday, November 30, 2026
  1. Trigger (Date the hearing before the referee concluded and the matter was submitted): Friday, November 6, 2026.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 20 calendar days: Thursday, November 26, 2026.
  3. That day is a Thanksgiving Day, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, November 30, 2026 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10).
Rules applied
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 643(a)
(a) Unless otherwise directed by the court, the referees or commissioner must report their statement of decision in writing to the court within 20 days after the hearing, if any, has been concluded and the matter has been submitted.
Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10
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." CCP 12b: "If any city, county, state, or public office, other than a branch office, is closed for the whole of any day, insofar as the business of that office is concerned, that day shall be considered as a holiday for the purposes of computing time under Sections 12 and 12a." CCP 10: "Holidays within the meaning of this code are every Sunday and any other days that are specified or provided for as judicial holidays in Section 135."
Official source
  • Referee's duty; parties docket it to follow up. A CCP 638 (consensual) referee reports as agreed by the parties and approved by the court (643(b)). Court may direct otherwise. Section amended by Stats. 2000, ch. 644.
  • 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 the hearing before the referee concluded and the matter was submitted on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Monday, April 5, 2027.

  1. Trigger (Date the hearing before the referee concluded and the matter was submitted): Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 20 calendar days: Sunday, April 4, 2027.
  3. That day is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, April 5, 2027 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 10; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10).

Notes

Referee's duty; parties docket it to follow up. A CCP 638 (consensual) referee reports as agreed by the parties and approved by the court (643(b)). Court may direct otherwise. Section amended by Stats. 2000, ch. 644.

Related deadlines

All California civil deadlines

Local rules by county

County local rules and courtroom procedures can add to or change this deadline. Pick a county to calculate with them applied.

Rules current as of 2026-10-25. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.