Are you looking into how to ask for an adjournment in court? Perhaps you contacted us, and we recommended this article.
If you have not yet reached out to us, you can fill out the information on the side of this page. Please put URGENT in the request. You will need to quickly provide everything that we ask for. There will be no time for a consultation or answering questions.
Our legal team will have to start working on the paperwork and asking you questions. We are not trying to be rude, we are being honest.
Many people have no idea how the legal system works. They think they can walk into court and just tell the judge their story.
They say things like they are going to win their case for sure. This means they are likely to lose their case for sure.
Trying To Hire A Lawyer Right Before Court
Many people contact us asking for a lawyer within seven days of the hearing. This is completely impossible. Lawyers hate to appear in front of judges unprepared because it makes them look bad.
Sometimes we recommend legal coaching from a lawyer or paralegal to people that reach out to us. We always try and make it clear that time is extremely limited to fill a response.
If you reach out to us with five days to go before trial, you have max a few days to file the paperwork with the courts.
If you do not file important documents like a response or an affidavit, you will likely lose a case. We explain that we need a copy of their ID, and we need them to sign the legal consulting agreement right away.
Losing Your Court Hearing | Ask For An Adjournment
And yet, they often delay. Perhaps they do not want to spend $1000 on legal coaching. So instead they go to their hearing and lose their case. Often they get hit with court orders which will cost them at least $10,000+.
Quite often, they get hit with an order to pay the other sides legal fees. It is amazing that people do not take the court seriously.
This sort of situation happens at least ten times per week. If you are not going to get legal coaching, and you have not filed a response, the best you can do is ask for an adjournment.
You can explain to the judge that you are not prepared for a hearing, and apologize constantly. Say your reasons, and mentioned you are reaching out to lawyers for representation or legal coaching.
At best, the judge will likely give you a “fine” of $500. At worst, you will completely lose your case and have to pay the other sides legal fees. It could go either way.
How To Ask For An Adjournment
You might find the video below interesting. You will note that he dressed professionally. He did not show up in jeans and a t-shirt.
The issue is a parking ticket, which is very non-serious. If he doesn’t win his case, he has to pay the parking ticket.
If you lose a lawsuit or family law case, you could lose ten’s or hundreds of thousands, and possibly your children.
The video is sort of silly in some ways. He shows up in court saying he doesn’t know what he wants to do. This wasted the court’s resources and time.
The judge would almost certainly want to know why he was not prepared.
How To Get a New Court Date | Ask For An Adjournment
You might get a notice from the court saying there is a hearing date, a conference date, or a trial date.
Perhaps you have something else going on that date. Or maybe you have delayed finding a lawyer to represent you. Further, you might be looking for someone to offer you legal coaching.
Some good reasons to not be able to make a date include medical appointments or things related to children.
You should call or write a letter to the court. You need to include your case number, where the file was registered, and who you are.
No not assume the court staff will know your case. There are thousands of cases going on at any given time.
If you want to ask for an adjournment or to get a new court date, explain that you got notice of the hearing.
Explain why you cannot make the date. Put some effort into it. Do not provide a weak reason like you want to go to the movies that day.
The goal is to get a date in the future. It’s also important to let the opposing party know that you cannot make that date.
In conclusion, you should also call the court to make sure that they received the letter. You don’t want to leave it to the date before the hearing.