Request a Postponement / Request to Appear Remotely

Below is the Court’s policy for requesting a postponement and/or permission to attend an in-person court hearing remotely.

Postponements/Requests to Appear Remotely for Civil (non-domestic) Cases

Postponements/Requests to Appear Remotely for Family/Domestic Cases

Civil (Non-Family Law) Cases:

Requests for Postponement and Requests to Appear Remotely in civil (non-family law) cases must be made in the form of a written motion and should be filed as soon as the need arises. Delays in filing may result in the Court being unable to consider the motion. Please note that even if the other party/counsel agrees to the postponement, a motion received by the Postponement Coordinator less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to a hearing may not be considered by the Court. Verbal or telephone requests will not be considered.

If the motion is filed within 18 days of the event, it may be necessary to file a Motion to Shorten Time, along with your Motion to Postpone or Request to Appear Remotely. A Motion to Shorten Time must be filed with the Clerk's Office and physically "walked through" to the Chambers Judge.

To request a Postponement due to a documented Medical Emergency or Death of a family member, please refer to the "Medical Emergency” section.

Self-represented litigants may utilize the Maryland Help Center for free legal assistance in filing a Motion to Postpone, a Motion to Appear Remotely, a Motion to Shorten Time or for other civil matters. Forms for self-represented litigants are available to download here:

Forms:

Jump to Section:

Medical Emergency

To request a postponement or permission to appear remotely due to a documented medical emergency or death of a family member, call the Postponement Coordinator at (410) 222-1215 (x5).

NOTE:For all medical emergency motions, the Court requires written medical documentation specifying that you are unable to attend Court.

Instructions for All Motions to Postpone and Motions to Appear Remotely

  • Paper motions served by mail that are filed less than nineteen (19) days before the hearing must be accompanied by the consent of all counsel/unrepresented parties OR an Order to Shorten Time to Respond. Electronic motions e-filed through the MDEC system and paper motions that are hand delivered must be filed at least sixteen (16) days before the hearing or be accompanied by either the consent of all counsel/ unrepresented parties OR an Order to Shorten Time to Respond.
  • File a Motion to Shorten Time if there is insufficient time for the party(ies) to respond.
  • Motions must include an address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) pursuant to the Maryland Rules. In addition to mailing a copy of the Order, the Court may also send notice of the outcome of the Motion via email.
  • Motions to Postpone must include a tentative reset date that is cleared by all parties and the Assignment Office. The movant must conduct a conference call by calling the opposing party/parties and then calling the Assignment Office at (410) 222-1422. See Tentative Reset Date for Postponements for more inforation.
  • If a Motion to Postpone or Motion to Appear Remotely is not filed within 72 hours (3 business days) after clearing a tentative reset date, the date may be released.
  • In addition to filing the motion with the Court, copies of the motion must be served via MDEC or in paper, on all counsel/unrepresented parties. This should be reflected in the Certificate of Service of your motion.

Contested Motions to Postpone or Appear Remotely

Joint or Consent Motions to Postpone or Appear Remotely

For hearings where ALL parties/counsel consent to postpone the hearing or for remote appearance the motion should be titled "Consent Motion to Postpone"/ "Consent Motion to Appear Remotely" or similar. If the motion is joint (meaning that all parties are requesting a postponement), the motion should be entitled "Joint Motion to Postpone"/ "Joint Motion to Appear Remotely" and should include the signatures of all counsel and unrepresented parties. Failure to entitle the motion "Consent" or "Joint" may result in a delay in ruling on the motion. Clearing a Tentative Reset Date does not imply consent to the Motion. Express Consent must be provided by the Opposing party(ies) and shall be separately stated within said Motion to Postpone/Continue. See Instructions for ALL Motions to Postpone and Motions to Appear Remotely.

Motion to Shorten Time

If your motion was mailed eighteen (18) or less days (or hand- delivered or served through MDEC fifteen (15) or less) before your hearing, the Court ordinarily cannot consider the motion before the hearing unless there is an Order to Shorten Time to Respond to your motion. Motions to Shorten Time must comply with the Maryland Rules 1-204 and 1-351, and must be "walked through" the Court, in person, in order to be considered.

In addition to filing the Motion to Shorten Time with the Court, copies of the motion must be served on all counsel/unrepresented parties.

Self-Represented Party(ies) –- In order for a self-represented party to walk through a motion to shorten time, the party must appear at the Civil Clerk's Office (Room 100) and file the motion. When the party files the motion, he/she must tell the clerk that the motion is a Motion to Shorten Time that needs to be “walked through” for ruling to the Chambers Judge (only in civil non-family law cases).

The party filing the Motion to Shorten Time must wait at the Court until the Civil Clerk's Office forwards the motion to the Judge for consideration and the Judge has ruled on the Motion. If the Motion is granted, the Court may order the party to ensure appropriate service of the Order and any other documents as directed by the Judge. Self-represented litigants may, but are not required to, use the Motion to Shorten Time form. Note: For registered self-represented MDEC E-Filers: Instead of filing the Motion to Shorten Time in the Clerk’s Office, the party will e-file the motion and then appear in the Clerk’s Office with the envelope number. All other instructions indicated above are the same.

Attorneys – Attorneys who “walk-through” a Motion to Shorten Time must first electronically file the motion through the MDEC system, then appear in the Civil Clerk's Office (Room 100) with the envelope number of the electronic filing. After appearing in the Clerk's Office, the attorney shall proceed to the chambers of the Chambers Judge or their designee (civil non-family law cases only).

NOTE: For both Self-Represented Parties AND Attorneys, if the motion is granted, the party(ies) / attorneys shall ensure appropriate service of the Order and any other documents as directed by the Judge and shall notify the Civil Non-Family Law Postponement Coordinator (410-222-1215 (x5)).

Notice of Deficiency (from Civil Postponement Coordinator)

The Civil Postponement Coordinator will issue a Notice of Deficiency when a filed motion does not comply with the Postponement Policy. The Notice of Deficiency will state the specific error(s) in the filing. The filing party(ies) will need to correct the error before the motion can be processed. For questions about a Notice of Deficiency that has been issued, contact the Civil Postponement Coordinator at (410) 222-1215 (x5).

Tentative Reset Date for Postponements

A Motion to Postpone must include a tentative reset date cleared by all parties. The moving party must call the opposing party(ies) and then conduct a conference call with the Assignment Office at (410) 222-1422. Clearing a tentative reset date does not represent that the opposing party consents to the postponement. If a Motion to Postpone does not include a tentative reset date, a Notice of Deficiency will be issued to the moving party. The moving party can submit a tentative reset date directly to the Postponement Coordinator within the specified time period written on the Notice of Deficiency, without having to file an amended Motion. If the Court does not receive a tentative reset date within that time period, the postponement will not be considered or may be denied.

Family Law Cases:

Requests for Postponement and Requests to Appear Remotely in family law cases must be made in the form of a written motion and should be filed as soon as the need arises. Delays in filing may result in the Court being unable to consider the motion. Please note that even if the other party/counsel agrees to the postponement, a motion received by the Postponement Coordinator less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to a hearing may not be considered by the Court. Verbal or telephone requests will not be considered.

If the motion is filed within 18 days of the event, it may be necessary to file a Motion to Shorten Time, along with your Motion to Postpone or Request to Appear Remotely. A Motion to Shorten Time must be filed with the Clerk’s Office and physically “walked through” to the Family Law Coordinating and Continuance Judge to be signed, and a copy hand-delivered to the Family Law Postponement Coordinator located in Room 402 of the Courthouse.

To request a Postponement due to a documented Medical Emergency or Death of a family member or a Postponement of a Protective Order hearing, please refer to the "Medical Emergency or Protective Order" section.

Self-represented litigants may utilize the Family Law Help Center or Maryland Help Center for free legal assistance in filing a Motion to Postpone, a Motion to Appear Remotely, a Motion to Shorten Time or for other family law matters. Forms for self-represented litigants are available to download here:

Forms:

Jump to Section:

Medical Emergency or Protective Order

To request a postponement or permission to appear remotely due to a documented medical emergency or death of a family member, or a postponement of a hearing on a petition for protection from abuse/protective order, call the Postponement Coordinator at (410) 222-1153 (x6).

NOTE: For all medical emergency motions, the Court requires written medical documentation specifying that you are unable to attend Court.

Instructions for All Motions to Postpone and Motions to Appear Remotely

  • Paper motions served by mail that are filed less than nineteen (19) days before the hearing must be accompanied by the consent of all counsel/unrepresented parties OR an Order to Shorten Time to Respond. Electronic motions e-filed through the MDEC system and paper motions that are hand delivered must be filed at least sixteen (16) days before the hearing or be accompanied by either the consent of all counsel/ unrepresented parties OR an Order to Shorten Time to Respond.
  • Please see Motions to Shorten Time to file a Motion to Shorten time if there is insufficient time for the party(ies) to respond.
  • Motions must include an address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es), if available, pursuant to the Maryland Rules. In addition to mailing a copy of the Order, the Court may also send notice of the outcome of the Motion via email.
  • Motions to Postpone must include a tentative reset date that is cleared by all parties and the Assignment Office. The movant must conduct a conference call by calling the opposing party and then calling the Assignment Office at (410) 222-1422. See Tentative Reset Date for Postponements.
  • If a Motion to Postpone or Motion to Appear Remotely is not filed within 72 hours (3 business days) after clearing a tentative reset date, the date may be released.
  • If the hearing is ten (10) days or less from the date of filing of the motion, the motion must be “walked through.” This applies both to motions that are e-filed (through MDEC) and motions that are filed in paper. This procedure applies even if all counsel/parties agree to the postponement. * Please see below for information on how to "walk through" a motion. NOTE: Although electronically filed motions to postpone need only be walked through if the hearing is less than ten (10) days away, the filing MUST still comply with the Maryland Rules in regard to the amount of time the opposing party is allowed to respond. Meaning, that the ten (10) day procedure described above will only apply if the motion is joint/consent OR an order shortening time to respond is granted. Motions that are not timely filed to allow all other parties sufficient time to respond, either per Rule or Court order, may not be considered by the Court.
  • In addition to filing the motion with the Court, copies of the motion must be served via MDEC or in paper, on all counsel/unrepresented parties.

"Walk-Through" Procedures for Motions to Postpone and Motions to Appear Remotely

Self-Represented Party – In order for a self-represented party to walk through a motion, the party must appear in person at the Civil Clerk’s Office (Room 100) at 1:30 p.m. Monday to Friday to file the motion. When the party files the motion, he/she must then: 1) tell the Clerk that the Motion needs to be “walked through”; and 2) proceed to the 4th floor of the Courthouse and present all paperwork to the Family Law Postponement Coordinator in the Office of Case Management, Suite 402 – by no later than 2:00 p.m. *If a self-represented party is a registered MDEC e-filer, the party may follow the instructions for attorneys on how to “walk through” Motions.

Attorney – To walk through a motion, an attorney must: 1) electronically file the motion through the MDEC system; 2) call the Clerk’s Office at (410) 222-1431 or appear in person in the Clerk’s Office (Suite 100) with the envelope number of the electronic filing to request that the motion be reviewed and docketed; and 3) go to the 4th floor of the Courthouse and present all paperwork to the Family Law Postponement Coordinator in the Office of Case Management, Suite 402 – by no later than 2:00 p.m.

Postpone Scheduling Conference

  • If all counsel and unrepresented parties agree to postpone a scheduling conference, they may do so once by conference call with the Assignment Office, (410) 222-1422. The conference call must occur within fifteen (15) days of entry of the Order for Scheduling Conference and the new date shall be no later than thirty (30) days after the original date. If there is availability with the Assignment Office, the parties can also agree to a date earlier than the scheduled date.
  • If all counsel and unrepresented parties do not agree, a Motion for Postponement must be filed.

Postpone Show Cause Hearing

  • If all counsel and unrepresented parties agree to postpone a Show Cause hearing in a family law case (set pursuant to a party's petition for contempt), they may do so once by conference call with the Assignment Office, (410) 222-1422. The conference call must occur at least ten (10) days prior to the original show cause hearing. The new date shall be no later than thirty (30) days after the original date. If there is availability with the Assignment Office, the parties can also agree to a date earlier than the scheduled date.
  • If all counsel and unrepresented parties do not agree, a motion for postponement must be filed.
  • DCM Show Cause Hearings or other Show Cause hearings set on the Court's own initiative may NOT be postponed using this procedure. A Motion for Postponement must be filed in those circumstances.

Joint or Consent Motions to Postpone or Appear Remotely

  • For hearings where all counsel and unrepresented parties consent to postpone the hearing or for remote appearance the motion should be titled "Consent Motion to Postpone"/ "Consent Motion to Appear Remotely" or similar. If the motion is joint (meaning that all parties are requesting a postponement), the motion should be entitled "Joint Motion to Postpone"/ "Joint Motion to Appear Remotely" and should include the signatures of all counsel and unrepresented parties. Failure to entitle the motion "Consent" or "Joint" may result in a delay in ruling on the motion. See Instructions for ALL Motions to Postpone and Motions to Appear Remotely.
  • If a motion is filed ten (10) days or less prior to a hearing, the motion must still be walked through, even if the motion is a joint or consent motion.

Contested Motions to Postpone or Appear Remotely

Motion to Shorten Time

If a family law motion was mailed eighteen (18) or less days (or hand- delivered or served through MDEC fifteen (15) or less) before your hearing, the Court ordinarily cannot consider the motion before the hearing unless there is an Order to Shorten Time allowing time for the other party to respond to your motion. Motions to Shorten Time must comply with the Maryland Rules 1-204 and 1-351, and must be "walked through" the Court, in person, in order to be considered.

In addition to filing the Motion to Shorten Time with the Court, copies of the motion must be served on all counsel/unrepresented parties.

Self-Represented Parties - In order for a self-represented party to walk through a motion to shorten time, the party must appear at the Civil Clerk's Office (Room 100) and file the motion. When the party files the motion, he/she must tell the clerk that the motion is a Motion to Shorten Time that needs to be “walked through” for ruling to the Family Law Coordinating & Continuance Judge or their designee.

The party filing the Motion to Shorten Time must wait at the Court until the Civil Clerk's Office forwards the motion to the Judge for consideration and the Judge has ruled on the Motion. If the Motion is granted, the Court may order the party to ensure appropriate service of the Order and any other documents as directed by the Judge. Self-represented litigants may, but are not required to, use the Motion to Shorten Time in the Forms section. Note: For registered self-represented MDEC E-Filers: Instead of filing the Motion to Shorten Time in the Clerk’s Office, the party will e-file the motion and then appear in the Clerk’s Office with the envelope number. All other instructions indicated above are the same.

Attorneys – Attorneys who “walk-through” a Motion to Shorten Time must first electronically file the motion through the MDEC system, then appear in the Civil Clerk's Office (Room 100) with the envelope number of the electronic filing. After appearing in the Clerk's Office, the attorney shall proceed to the chambers of the Family Law Coordinating & Continuance Judge or their designee.

NOTE: For both Self-Represented Parties AND Attorneys, if the motion is granted, the self-represented parties / attorneys shall ensure appropriate service of the Order and any other documents as directed by the Judge and immediately hand-deliver a copy to the Family Law Postponement Coordinator located in Room 402 of the Courthouse.

Notice of Deficiency (from Family Law Postponement Coordinator)

The Family Law Postponement Coordinator will issue a Notice of Deficiency when a filed motion does not comply with the Postponement Policy. The Notice of Deficiency will state the specific error(s) in the filing. The filing party will need to correct the error before the motion can be processed. For questions about a Notice of Deficiency that has been issued, contact the Family Law Postponement Coordinator at (410) 222-1153 (x6).

Tentative Reset Date for Postponements

A Motion to Postpone must include a tentative reset date cleared by all parties. The moving party must call the opposing party and then conduct a conference call with the Assignment Office at (410) 222-1422. Clearing a tentative reset date does not represent that the opposing party consents to the postponement. If a Motion to Postpone does not include a tentative reset date, a Notice of Deficiency will be issued to the moving party. The moving party can submit a tentative reset date directly to the Postponement Coordinator within the specified time period written on the Notice of Deficiency, without having to file an amended Motion. If the Court does not receive a tentative reset date within that time period, the postponement will not be considered or may be denied.