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Contact the court. Call or visit the clerk's office of the court that is handling your case and explain why you cannot attend the scheduled date. The clerk will inform you how continuances are handled in that state, county, or city.

A “motion for a continuance” is a request asking the judge to make an order changing your hearing date. If the judge grants your motion, your court date will be postponed to a later time. For most requests for continuances, you must provide the judge with a suitable reason (“good cause”) for postponing your court date.

If you are the defendant, you can request a postponement (continuance) of your trial date if you 1) are unable to appear on that date, or 2) you were untimely served and need more time to prepare for the trial. You can read more about how to do this on the What to Do When You Have Been Sued page of this section.

Generally, you must ask the court in writing to give you a continuance. This means filing a pleading or some other written statement in court asking for a continuance.

Reasons you may want to ask for a continuance include: You did not get enough notice of the hearing. (The law says you must get at least 45 days' notice of a final hearing, at least 10 days' notice of an enforcement hearing, and at least three days' notice of most other hearings.

The rules of civil procedure require that a continuance motion be verified: “No application for a continuance shall be heard before the defendant files his defense, nor shall any continuance be granted except for sufficient cause supported by affidavit, or by consent of the parties, or by operation of law.” Tex.

(4) In order to obtain a continuance, written notice with supporting documents must be filed and served on all parties at least two court days before the date set for hearing, unless the court finds good cause for hearing an oral motion.

A motion for continuance shall be in writing unless made at a trial and, except for good cause shown, shall be signed by the party requesting the continuance. The motion shall state all of the facts that the movant contends entitle the movant to a continuance.