How to Write a Letter to a Judge for Rescheduling an Evidentiary Hearing

Courtrooms run on a tight schedule. Oftentimes a participant's desire to alter that schedule must be done in writing, which then becomes an official record of the court. Most scheduling changes will come as requests directed at the courtroom judge. Writing a letter to a judge to reschedule an evidentiary hearing requires you to properly identify yourself, the original hearing date and the date to which you would like to change the hearing.

Format the letter according to standard business-letter format. This requires you to put your contact information in the top right corner, including name, business address, phone number and email address. Below that and on the left of the page, place the date when the letter was sent. Directly beneath that, write the name of the judge, including title and the address of the courtroom where he presides.

Greet the judge with a formal salutation such as "Dear Judge So-and-So" or "Your Honorable Judge So-and-So."

Identify yourself and your reason for writing to the judge in the first line of the letter's body. For example, "My name is Jim Jimerson and I am writing to reschedule our evidentiary hearing."

Indicate the date and time when the original evidentiary hearing is scheduled, as well as your reason for requesting the hearing to be rescheduled.

Indicate several alternative dates and times you could attend the hearing. Providing a list of dates will allow the judge to find an alternative time in his schedule.

State your willingness to proceed with the originally scheduled date and time of the evidentiary hearing if the judge is unable to find another time in his schedule. Ultimately, the judge has the final say on whether or not you are able to alter his schedule, and recognizing this in the letter will demonstrate your respect for the judge.

Thank the judge for his time and consideration.

Close the letter with a formal sign-off such as "Sincerely" or "Respectfully," and sign your name. Because you have fully identified yourself in the opening line of the letter, it is not necessary to print your name under your signature.