Feeling frustrated because your divorce is dragging on longer than a season of your favorite TV show? Ready to just get it over with? Let’s jump right in and break down how you can hustle along and get your day in court.
“I’m DIY-ing my divorce. How do I get this thing to trial?”
Hey, kudos for going solo! But let’s get real: representing yourself can feel like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions. Lucky for you, the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure (specifically, Rule 77) is your instruction manual. It spills the tea on how to set a trial, manage schedule mess-ups, and more.
“So, wait. Do I need to chase the court or will they come to me?”
Well, it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. At times, after meetings like a Resolution Management Conference or a Temporary Orders Hearing, the judge might toss you a bone and set up your trial date. But if they ghost you? You’ll need to roll up your sleeves and get things moving.
“Radio silence from the court. What’s next?”
Time to channel your inner Beyoncé and take the lead. Draft up a Motion to Set for a trial. In this doc, include when you’re ready to dance, who’s dancing (read: names and contact info of involved lawyers), custody deets (if that’s on the table), and how long you think your trial will be. Because, let’s be honest, no one likes an unplanned extended show.
“They gave me a trial date, but only an hour? My life’s more complicated than that!”
Time to speak up. If you think the court’s time slot is tighter than skinny jeans after Thanksgiving, file a motion to ask for more time. Just a heads up – do it at least 45 days before your trial. Procrastinate and you might find yourself with a denied request.
“Oops! I double-booked my trial date. Now what?”
Life happens, right? If your calendar’s playing tricks on you, the court’s usually cool about rescheduling. ASAP, draft a motion explaining why you need a rain check. If both you and your soon-to-be-ex can agree, you might even send a joint motion. Just make sure your reason isn’t “I just don’t feel like it.”
“When would the court actually reschedule?”
Good question! A top-notch reason might be a key person playing hooky – like a witness or party who’s out of town or can’t escape the 9-5 grind. But a word of advice? Give the court a heads up pronto. If you’re sliding into their DMs the day before, odds are they won’t be feeling generous.
And hey, for the lawyers in the room, sometimes you’re double-booked because courts overlap. When that happens, just give the court a shout and they might accommodate.
Divorce trials are like bad dates. We all want them to end quickly. But if you’re stuck in limbo, just remember: you’ve got options and a bit of legwork can get things moving.
