What to do if…
you receive a notice that your court hearing has been moved to an earlier date

What to do now

1. Confirm the hearing details with the court clerk. Use the court’s official website, a known court portal, or earlier official paperwork to find the clerk’s contact details. Ask:
   • “Is this hearing definitely set for this new date and time?”
   • “Was an order or updated notice entered?”
   • “What is the quickest allowed way to ask for more time?”
   • “Is there a form, motion, email address, e-filing route, or emergency procedure for this court?”
   • “If I ask for a new date, do I still need to appear unless the court grants it?”
2. Check the docket or court portal if your court has one. Look for the new hearing date, any order changing the date, any filing deadline, and whether the hearing is in person, by phone, or by video. For a federal case, PACER may show the docket; for a state or local case, use that court’s own portal if available.
3. Save proof of when you received the notice. Keep the envelope, email headers, portal notification, screenshots, postal tracking, and any voicemail or text. Write down the date and time you first saw the notice.
4. Make a short contact log. Record each call, email, portal message, or visit to the clerk’s office, including the date, time, person or department contacted, and what they told you.
5. If you have a lawyer, send the notice immediately. Ask whether you must appear, whether the lawyer will file a request, and whether you should take any step yourself before the hearing.
6. If you do not have a lawyer, ask the clerk or court self-help office what form or motion is used. Court staff usually cannot tell you what argument to make, but they may be able to point you to forms, filing methods, local rules, self-help services, and fee-waiver information.
7. If you cannot attend or cannot be ready, file the court’s required request as soon as you can. Depending on the court, this may be called a request to postpone, motion to continue, motion for continuance, or request to reschedule. Keep it short and factual:
   • the current hearing date and the earlier date change,
   • when and how you received notice,
   • why the short notice makes attendance or preparation difficult,
   • what new date range or amount of time you are asking for,
   • whether the other party was contacted, if contact is allowed and safe,
   • what proof you are attaching.
8. Serve or notify the other party only in the way the court requires. Ask what proof of service or e-service confirmation is needed. If direct contact is barred or unsafe, ask the clerk, your lawyer, or a self-help office about the correct route.
9. Prepare to appear unless the court confirms a change. Bring or have ready the notice, proof of when you received it, your contact log, any filed request, filing confirmation, service proof, and a one-page timeline.
10. If the barrier is practical rather than legal, ask about remote appearance or accessibility help. This can include phone or video appearance, interpreter services, disability accommodation, or instructions for illness or travel problems. Ask about the deadline and exact filing method.
11. Check for the court’s decision before the hearing. Look for an order, portal entry, email from the court, or updated notice. If there is no clear grant of a new date, assume the earlier hearing is still on.