Sonoma Superior Court Adjournment & Extension Requirements

A trial continuance request must be made by stipulation of all parties or by written notice of motion and may be granted only upon a showing of good cause.

Requests for trial continuances Continuances of trials may be granted, upon good cause show, must be made either by stipulation of all the parties or upon written notice of motion.

A continuance motion must be calendared before the Assigned Judge at least seven calendar days before trial unless good cause supports a shorter notice period.

Any motion for continuance must be calendared for hearing before the Assigned Judge on the Trial calendar at least seven (7) calendar days in advance of the trial date, unless good cause is shown for a shortening of such time.

Failure to complete discovery is not good cause for a continuance.

Failure to complete discovery does not constitute good cause.

Trial counsel's stipulation alone is not good cause for granting a continuance.

Stipulation of trial counsel by itself does not constitute good cause for granting a continuance.

Every trial continuance request must include the good-cause showing required by California Rule of Court 3.1332.

Any Request for a trial continuance must be supported by a good cause showing as defined in California Rule of Court, Rule 3.1332.

Failure to complete discovery or mediation and settlement discussions is not good cause for a trial continuance.

Failure to complete discovery or mediation/settlement discussion does not constitute good cause for a trial continuance.

Small claims continuance and trial-de-novo requests must follow Code of Civil Procedure section 116.570.

Requests for continuance of trials or trials de novo in small claims cases must follow the procedure set out in Code of Civil Procedure § 116.570.

A moving party must file a continuance request, with the required fees, or notice of dropping a law and motion matter with the Civil Clerk’s Office by 4:00 p.m. at least three court days before the hearing.

Requests for continuances (along Along with the required fees) or notification of dropping of law and motion matters must be filed by the moving party with the Civil Clerk’s Office by 4:00 p.m. at least three (3) court days prior to the scheduled hearing date.

A request to drop or continue a settlement conference, case management conference, or master calendar must be sent to the Family Law Judicial Assistant by 5:00 p.m. at least three court days before the conference.

Any request to drop or continue the Settlement Conference, and Case Management Conference or Master Calendar must be made to the Family Law Judicial Assistant by 5:00 p.m. at least three (3) court days prior to the court date conference.

A stipulated request to continue a trial must be submitted to the assigned judicial officer by noon ten calendar days before the hearing and may be granted only upon a showing of good cause.

The court, upon a showing of good cause, may grant stipulated requests to continue a trial. The stipulated request shall be submitted to the assigned judicial officer by noon ten (10) calendar days prior to the hearing date.

A request to continue a case-management conference must be included in the Case Management Conference Statement.

Requests to continue a Case Management Conference must be set forth in the Case Management Conference Statement.

Written notice of a waived jury or continued trial must be filed at least two court days in advance, and compliance is determined by the file date.

Jury fees on deposit will be forfeited and will not be applied to a future trial date if: the matter is settled without notice to the court, the jury is waived without two (2) court days’ notice to the court, or the trial date is continued without two (2) court days’ notice to the court, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure § 631.3. D. Notice to the court under this rule must be in writing. The file date is used to determine compliance with timelines contained herein.

A trial continuance requires good cause and either a stipulation or written motion calendared at least seven calendar days before trial, although good cause may shorten the notice period.

Continuances of trials may be granted, upon good cause show, by stipulation of the parties or upon written notice of motion. Failure to complete discovery does not constitute good cause. Any motion for continuance must be calendared for hearing before the Assigned Judge on the Trial calendar at least seven (7) calendar days in advance of the trial date, unless good cause is shown for a shortening of such time. Stipulation of trial counsel by itself does not constitute good cause for granting a continuance.

Small claims requests to continue a trial or obtain a trial de novo must follow Code of Civil Procedure section 116.570.

Requests for continuance of trials or trials de novo in small claims cases must follow the procedure set out in Code of Civil Procedure § 116.570.

A stipulated continuance on the regular Probate calendar generally may be requested no more than twice and for no more than six months from the first hearing date, using the required form, all-party execution, and continuance fee submitted to the probate clerk by noon three court days before the hearing; electronic signatures are acceptable.

Stipulated continuances for any matter set on the regular Probate calendar will generally be granted a maximum of two (2) times per pending petition or application for relief and for not more than a total of six (6) months’ time from the date the matter was first set for hearing. To request one of the two stipulated continuances, a NOTICE OF STIPULATED CONTINUANCE (PROBATE) (Sonoma County Local Form PR- 018) executed by all parties or their attorneys and the continuance fee must be submitted to the probate clerk no later than noon (12:00 p.m.) three (3) court days prior to the hearing date. Electronic signatures are acceptable.

Generally, the matter will be dismissed without prejudice if more than two continuances are requested or permitted before disposition.

Generally, no more than two continuances will be permitted before the matter is dismissed without prejudice.

A trial or preliminary hearing may be continued only by written motion establishing good cause, unless statutory or decisional law requires otherwise.

No trial or preliminary hearing may be continued, except upon written motion establishing good cause as required by PC § 1050, unless otherwise required by statutory or decisional law.

A continuance request must include completed and executed Local Form FL015 and the continuance fee submitted to the family law clerk at least two court days before the hearing; faxed signatures are accepted.

To request a continuance, a Notice of Stipulated Continuance (Family Law) Local Form FL015 must be completed and executed by all parties or their attorneys and the continuance fee must be submitted to the family law clerk no later than noon (12:00 p.m.) two (2) court days prior to the hearing date. Signatures transmitted by facsimile transmission (fax) are acceptable.

A continuance request by stipulation or notice of dropping must be presented to the clerk by 3:00 p.m. at least five court days before the hearing; only one continuance by stipulation will be granted.

Requests for continuances by stipulation or notification of dropping of law and motion matters must be presented by the parties to the clerk by 3:00 p.m. at least five (5) court days prior to the scheduled hearing date. Only one continuance by stipulation will be granted; after that, if the case cannot proceed, the court may drop the matter or require that it be re-noticed.

A request to drop or continue either conference must reach the Family Law Judicial Assistant by 5:00 p.m. at least three court days before the conference.

Any request to drop or continue the Settlement Conference and Case Management Conference must be made to the Family Law Judicial Assistant by 5:00 p.m. at least three (3) court days prior to the conference.

A stipulated request to continue a trial may be granted only upon a showing of good cause, must be submitted by noon ten calendar days before the hearing, and must include a stipulation, a declaration explaining the need for continuance, and a proposed order.

The court, upon a showing of good cause, may grant stipulated requests to continue a trial. The stipulated request shall be submitted to the assigned judicial officer by noon ten (10) calendar days prior to the hearing date. Counsel or parties shall submit a stipulation to continue, a declaration stating why the continuance is necessary, and a proposed order for continuance. The court has discretion to determine if good cause exists to grant the continuance of the hearing. Stipulation by itself does not constitute good cause for granting a continuance.

In dependency cases, stipulated continuance requests must be presented to the court by noon at least one court day before the hearing.

B. Dependency Continuances will be granted and time waivers accepted pursuant to WIC § 352 and CRC, Rule 5.550. Requests for stipulated continuances shall be presented to the court by noon one at least (1) court day prior to the hearing.

Jurisdictional-hearing continuances require a written motion with notice filed within two court days of the hearing date; other hearings may be continued by written ex parte motion when all attorneys and parties agree to the continuance and new hearing date.

C. Justice Continuances of jurisdictional hearings will be granted only upon written motion with notice to all attorneys and unrepresented parties filed within two (2) court days of the date set for hearing. All other hearings may be continued by written motion noticed on an ex parte basis if all attorneys and parties agree to the continuance and the new date for hearing.

The court independently determines whether good cause supports a stipulated continuance, and a stipulation alone does not establish good cause.

The court has discretion to determine if good cause exists to grant the continuance of the hearing. Stipulation by itself does not constitute good cause for granting a continuance.

A conservator or guardian must request an extension to file accounts through an ex parte application and supporting declaration under the applicable Local Rule, and the court may approve it at its discretion.

Extensions to file accounts in conservatorships and guardianships may be approved at the court’s discretion. When requesting an extension, the conservator/guardian shall do so by filing an ex parte application and declaration in support of the extension as an “Order on Matter Not Requiring a Hearing” under the applicable Local Rule.

Only one continuance by stipulation will be granted; if the case still cannot proceed, the court may drop it or require re-noticing.

Only one continuance by stipulation will be granted; after that, if the case cannot proceed the court may drop the matter or require that it be re-noticed.

A continuance request may be made at the hearing, and the Court may grant it in its discretion.

Requests for continuances may be made at the hearing and may be granted in the discretion of the Court.

For a probate-will hearing, the court may continue the hearing for a reasonable time when an attorney or party objects and states that a written contest will be filed, but the hearing will proceed as if no objection was made if the contest is not filed by the continued date unless the court finds good cause for another continuance.

When a petition for the probate of a Will is called for hearing and an attorney or party appears and orally objects and declares that a written contest will be filed, the Court may continue the hearing for a reasonable length of time with the condition that if such written contest has not been filed prior to the continued date, the hearing will proceed as if no objection had been made by said attorney or party, unless the court finds good cause exists for a further continuance.

Stipulated continuances are allowed up to two times; a further continuance requires a court appearance, a showing of good cause or an emergency, and review by the assigned judicial officer.

Stipulated continuances prior to the court date will be allowed a maximum of two (2) times. Thereafter, a court appearance is required to request a continuance. The party(ies) requesting a continuance after two continuances has/have already been granted, shall be required to show good cause and/or an emergency. All requests beyond the maximum two (2) will be delivered to the judicial assistant for the assigned judicial officer to review.

If Local Form FL015 is not submitted by noon two court days before the hearing, the party must show good cause or an emergency on the hearing date and make a courtesy call to the assigned judicial assistant by 3:00 p.m. one court day before the hearing.

If a party is unable to submit Local Form FL015, to the court by noon (12:00 p.m.) two (2) court days prior to the scheduled hearing, then good cause and/or an emergency must be shown to the court on the day of the hearing. Furthermore, a courtesy call to the assigned judicial assistant is required by 3:00 pm one (1) court day prior to the scheduled hearing. The content of the call shall be limited by providing only notice that an in-court continuance will be requested and that good cause and/or an emergency will be presented.

An unavoidable conflict permits a party or attorney to reschedule the custody Settlement Conference within a limited time, but the parties' stipulation alone is not good cause for a continuance.

In the event of an unavoidable conflict, a party or attorney shall have a limited time to reschedule the Settlement Conference. Stipulation of the parties alone is not good cause for continuance of the Settlement Conference.

A request to advance or continue a trial may be set for a hearing at the direction of the assigned judicial officer.

A request to advance or continue a trial may be set for a hearing at the direction of the judicial officer assigned to hear the case.

A request to advance or continue a trial may be set for hearing when directed by the assigned judicial officer.

A request to advance or continue a trial may be set for a hearing at the direction of the judicial officer assigned to hear the case.

Child Support calendar continuances may be requested by Notice of Stipulated Continuance or by personal appearance on the hearing date, and the party must verify available dates with the Department of Child Support Services; no continuance fee applies.

Requests for continuances on the Child Support calendar may be effected via Notice Of Stipulated Continuance pursuant to the rules above, OR may be made via personal appearance on the scheduled hearing date. Parties who wish to have child support matters continued must contact the Department of Child Support Services to verify available calendar dates. There is no fee for continuing a child support matter on this calendar.