How to Postpone a Divorce Court Day | Law for Families

How to Postpone a Divorce Court Day

How to Postpone a Divorce Court Day
Written By
WT
Wayne Thomas
Oct 9, 2013
1 minute read
Close-up mid section of male judge banging gavel

Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Divorce hearings are scheduled at the court's convenience. However, judges have the discretion to push back a hearing date if you or your spouse request a different date.The court knows, however, that one or both spouses may use rescheduling as a tactic to delay a case unnecessarily. Knowing how to ask for a different trial date and when the court may deny a request will help you make sure that you get suitable trial date for your divorce.

Motion for Continuance

To request the court to reschedule your divorce hearing, you must file what is called a "Motion for Continuance.' In the motion, you must tell the court the reason why the court should change the current date. An example might be if your attorney is in court with another case on that date and at that time. The other side can object to your request. If the court determines that the continuance would cause harm to the case or the continuance is only a delaying tactic, the court may deny the request. For example, in a custody determination, if you and your spouse disagree on which school your child should attend -- and the school year is about to start -- the court could deny the continuance because a delay could harm the child.

Law for Families Logo

Law for Families explains family law in plain English — divorce, marriage, custody, adoption, alimony and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.