A legal court hearing or trial is an official occurrence in which the final
outcome of a legal matter is decided by either a judge or jury. Whether
it’s a traffic violation or divorce, court hearings cover all legal issues.
It is important to never skip a court date without obtaining permission
by the court. Missing your court date may result in a warrant issued for
your arrest. Furthermore, it may also cause the judge to reach a verdict
without hearing your side of the case. In most states, a written postponement
request is needed at least 10 days before a scheduled hearing.
The following are the common reasons to postpone a hearing:
- Illness
- Death in the family
- Scheduling conflicts
- Marriage
- Lack of evidence
How to Postpone Your Court Appearance
If you cannot be physically present for your court date due to one or more
of the following reasons mentioned above, there are a couple of ways to
pursue postponement for your court date. Fortunately, if you can be present
in court, but are not prepared for your case, you can appear in person
on the day of court and ask the judge for additional time.
The following are three ways to postpone a court date:
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Requesting a continuance before the date. Contact or visit the clerk’s office of the court that is handling
your case and explain your reason for not being able to attend the scheduled
date. The court will inform you what forms or motions need to be filed
with the court. Once you take the required action, call the court’s
office again to make sure that the continuance was approved and the date
was rescheduled.
-
Agreeing to postponement with the opposing counsel. The contact information of the opposing counsel is often found in court
documents. Politely ask the opposing attorney to postpone your court date
and then ensure that the postponement has been approved by contacting
the court in advance of the original date.
-
Requesting a continuance on the date in person. If you wish to obtain a postponement on the date of your original court
day because you need more time, you can ask the judge for more time on
that date.
For more information,
contact our Fort Worth criminal defense lawyer at
Jerry Loftin & Associates and schedule a
free consultation today.