Judicial Council of California, www.courts.ca.gov Page 1 of 3
New July 1, 2020, Optional Form
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How to Reschedule a Hearing FL-304-INFO,
FL-304-INFO How to Reschedule a Hearing in Family Court
This form provides information about how to
obtain a court order to reschedule a hearing in
family court. This information sheet may not
cover everything you need to know about
rescheduling a hearing in your court. To learn
more:
1 General Information
Find a lawyer through your local bar
association, the State Bar of California at www.
calbar.ca.gov, or the Lawyer Referral Service at
1-866-442-2529. For free and low-cost legal
help (if you qualify), go to www.lawhelpca.org.
2
You can find these rules at any courthouse or
county law library or online at www.
courts.ca.gov/rules.
Written agreement (stipulation) to
reschedule a hearing (form FL-308)
If the court has issued temporary
emergency orders and those orders are in
effect, the parties could further agree that those
emergency orders will remain in effect until the
end of the new hearing. A draft of a new
temporary order with new end dates may have to
be given to the court for the judge to sign with
your agreement.
When the parties have signed the agreement, you can
present it to the court on the day of the hearing, but it is
best if you can file it at least five days before that date,
so the judge doesn't have to read your file multiple
times.
3 When to use Request to Reschedule
Hearing (form FL-306)
Remember, the agreement is not an order until
it is signed by a judge.
You may use this form to ask to reschedule the hearing
if the request for order or order to show cause you want
to reschedule:
Contact the family law facilitator or self-help
center for information and assistance, and
referrals to local legal services providers. Go to
www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-courtresources.htm.
Read California Rules of Court, rules 5.92
through 5.95, for the procedures to reschedule a
hearing.
Read rules 5.151 through 5.169 for the
procedures to notify and serve the other party
with a request to reschedule.
The judge in your family court case may order
that the hearing date be rescheduled based on an
agreement (stipulation) between the parties or
their attorneys.
You may use Agreement and Order to
Reschedule Hearing (form FL-308) if you do not
want to change temporary emergency orders. You
may use a local form approved by the court, or
write your own agreement.
You must follow your court’s local procedures to
obtain the new hearing date from the court clerk.
Some courts may limit the number of times the parties
can agree to rescheduling a hearing. Check your local
court rules before submitting your written agreement.
For information about how to write up your
agreement, get it approved by the court, and filed in
your case, see www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-agreeFL,
speak with an attorney, or get help at your court’s self-
help center or the Family Law Facilitator.
If you and the other party do not have an agreement,
the party who wants to reschedule the hearing must
file papers, such as form FL-306 or form FL-307, to
ask for a court order.
Was served, but there is a good reason why the
hearing should be changed to a new date. See
for other requirements.
Was not served on the other parties; or
Does not include temporary emergency (ex parte)
orders;
Form FL-306 may also be used to reschedule a hearing
to be able to meet with a child custody mediator or
recommending counselor before the hearing.
If this situation applies to you, ask your mediator or
child custody recommending counselor for information.
Most courts have local procedures and forms for
rescheduling a hearing but will accept form FL-306 or
your agreement to reschedule the hearing.
Do not use form FL-306 to ask to change the date of a
domestic violence restraining order hearing. For more
information, read How to Ask for a New Hearing Date
(form DV-115-INFO).
6
in Family CourtCal. Rules of Court, rule 5.95
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Page 2 of 3
à
How to Reschedule a Hearing FL-304-INFO,
FL-304-INFO How to Reschedule a Hearing in Family Court
You may use form FL-307 to ask to reschedule
the hearing if the request for order or order to
show cause you want to reschedule:
4 When to use Request to Reschedule
Hearing Involving Temporary
Emergency (Ex Parte) Orders (form
FL-307)
Includes temporary emergency (ex parte) orders.
5
Form FL-307 may also be used to reschedule a
hearing to be able to meet with a child custody
mediator or recommending counselor before the
hearing.
What if I need to reschedule a
hearing because the Request for Order
or an order to show cause was not
served on the other party?
What if I need to reschedule the hearing
for a good reason after the Request for
Order or an order to show cause was
served?
6
Some courts will set a court hearing for the
judge to consider the request to reschedule.
Was not served on the other parties.
Includes property restraint orders and you are the
responding party.
Was served but there is a good reason why the
hearing should be changed to a new date. See
for other requirements.
You should complete and file with the court a
written request to reschedule the hearing and a
proposed order at least five court days before the
hearing, unless you have a very good reason to
submit them later.
Another option is to appear in court on the date of
the hearing and ask the court to reschedule the
hearing. In this case, the party is not required to
file a written request but must complete and
submit a proposed order to the court. Order on
Request to Reschedule Hearing (form FL-309)
must be used for this purpose.
Other courts do not have a hearing, but will make
an order based on the papers submitted to the court
clerk. Before you complete any forms, it is
important that you know how your court handles
requests to reschedule a hearing.
Submit the written request and order to the court.
Notify and serve the other party.
The other party must be given notice of the request
to reschedule the hearing and given a copy of the
documents at the first reasonable opportunity
before the court can consider the request. You may
also include a blank Responsive Declaration to
Request to Reschedule Hearing (form FL-310).
Complete a written request and a proposed order.
You may use form FL-306 or FL-307, whichever
form applies to your case, and must use Order on
Request to Reschedule Hearing (form FL-309).
6
in Family Court
New July 1, 2020
If this situation applies to you, ask your mediator
or child custody recommending counselor for
information. Most courts have local procedures
and forms for recheduling, but will accept form
FL-307 or your agreement to reschedule the
hearing.
Do not use form FL-307 to ask to change the date
of a domestic violence restraining order hearing.
For more information, read How to Ask for a
New Hearing Date (form DV-115-INFO).
Follow your court’s local rules.
To get a date for the court to consider your request
to reschedule the hearing, find your court’s local
rules online at www.courts.ca.gov/3027.htm and
follow them.
You should complete and file with the court a
written request to reschedule the hearing and a
proposed order at least five court days before the
hearing, unless you have a very good reason to
submit them later.
When you submit the request and order,
you must also submit to the court proof that
the party was notified and served with the
documents. You may use Declaration Regarding
Notice and Service of Request for Temporary
Emergency (Ex Parte) Orders (form FL-303), a
local court form, or a declaration that contains the
same information as form FL-303.
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Page 3 of 3New July 1, 2020 How to Reschedule a Hearing FL-304-INFO,
FL-304-INFO How to Reschedule a Hearing in Family Court
Follow your court’s procedure for obtaining the
court order on your written request.
7 What do I do after the court makes the
order?
Make an oral request on the date of the hearing.
You must have the other party served with the order
and other documents. For example:
in Family Court
If for some reason, you do not receive a
response to your request to reschedule from the
court before the hearing, you should still attend the
hearing, or the court may make a decision without you.
Any temporary emergency (ex parte) orders; and
Prepare for your hearing. Find more information
online at www.courts.ca.gov/1094.htm.
Another option is to appear in court on the date of the
hearing and ask the court to reschedule the hearing. In
this case, the party is not required to file a written
request but must complete and submit a proposed
order to the court. Order on Request to Reschedule
Hearing (form FL-309) must be used for this purpose.
An Order on Request to Reschedule Hearing (form FL-309);
A filed Request for Order (form FL-300) or other
moving papers;
Other papers that the court requires you to serve.
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