If you missed your recent court date or may miss the upcoming one due to some emergency, it is good to get in touch with the court quickly and request to reschedule your court date. But, it is not that easy, and the rescheduling process can be slightly daunting. More importantly, if your request doesn’t contain one of the valid reasons to reschedule court date that we will talk about below, then chances are high that your request will be rejected.
However, don’t worry. If you follow the advice provided in this article, there’s a high probability of you successfully rescheduling your court date.
5 Valid Reasons To Reschedule Court Date
1. Hurdles In Transportation
If you can justify to the court that you were facing transportation issues like heavy traffic, breakdown of your vehicle or a car accident, then you can surely reschedule your court date without any significant problem.
2. Health Issues
If you have been suffering from a serious health issue and have valid documents to prove it, then your court date can be rescheduled. Not only that, but if any of your loved ones have been sick and you are busy taking care of them, you can also reschedule your court date for that cause.
3. You Didn’t Receive The Hearing Notification From The Court
In general, courts notify you about your upcoming court date so that you can appear at the right time. But, if you have not received a notification about your court date, how can they even expect you to appear in court.
Thus, you can use it as a valid reason for rescheduling the court date. Just make sure that you can prove it to the court to make it work.
However, if the problem was from your side, which led to the lack of notice, for example, if your address was changed and you didn’t inform the court, then you cannot use it for rescheduling the court date. The court will hold you accountable for not communicating properly.
4. Death Of a Loved One
Let’s accept it: life is unexpected, and anything can happen at any time. Hence, if any of your loved one died recently, then it can definitely serve as one of the valid reasons to reschedule court date.
5. Lack Of Preparation
There are some chances that your witness or legal representative may withdraw or be unable to appear on the given court date. If that’s the case, the court will consider it a reasonable cause to reschedule the hearing date.
Again, ensure that you can provide the evidence to prove your situation so that the court date can be rescheduled smoothly.
What Reasons Are Not Considered Valid To Reschedule The Court Date?
There are also some reasons that will not be considered valid to reschedule your court date.
Suppose you had any employment commitment, forgot the court date, are not feeling well, or dealing with a general family situation. In that case, it won’t be considered a strong reason to reschedule the court date. And the court is likely to charge you for that.
What Is The Process Of Rescheduling Your Court Date?
Follow the steps given below in order to reschedule your court date:
Step 1 – Contact The Court House
When the need to reschedule the court date arrives, contact the courthouse or office of the clerk immediately. Explain your situation to them and why rescheduling the date is necessary. Ensure to note down the name of the clerk you speak with and also the key points of the conversation.
Step 2 – Write a Formal Letter For Rescheduling The Court Date
Various jurisdictions ask individuals to write a formal letter for rescheduling the court date. If yours also ask for that, ensure to write a letter in a well formatted manner and include all the essential information like your case number and the statements like you have informed the opposing party about rescheduling the court date.
Step 3 – Now Wait For The Approval or Rejection
If you have done everything correctly, chances are high that your request will be granted. But, it is recommended to stay prepared for any outcome.
The court can also ask you to appear at a short hearing so they can ask some questions about your request. Or, they may also reject the request if the reason is not sensible.
Conclusion
So, that was all you needed to know about valid reasons to reschedule court date.
In general, you should always try your best to appear at your court hearing, as missing it can lead you to other legal issues. If you miss the court date for any of the reasons mentioned above, make sure to act fast. The more you will delay, the less chances are for you to get a rescheduled court date.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is It Possible To Reschedule Your Court Date Over The Phone?
Yes, you can ask your lawyer to call the court and discuss why you could not appear at the hearing and request for another court date.
2. What Should You Do Just After Missing The Court Date?
It is advised that you talk to your lawyer as soon as possible when you miss your court date. Immediate action will help you prevent serious problems and get your next court date.
3. How Many Times Can You Reschedule Your Court Date?
It usually depends on your judge and the reasons you use to reschedule your court date. Know that most judges won’t go too far with rescheduling the date. Hence, you are advised to keep it within the limit and don’t go beyond 1-2 dates.
