A Pretrial is a Court Hearing that is typically used as an opportunity to settle the case (sometimes, with the Judge’s assistance) on a permanent basis. If the parties cannot agree as to all of the issues, the Court issues a Pretrial Order which indicates the date of trial, the disputed issues for trial, along with other requirements (such as serving and filing of witness lists, exhibit lists and exhibits). A Pretrial is typically the last hearing before the trial date.