I have a hearing this week

1. Before the hearing

1. Find your cause number, court, date, time, and whether it's in person or on Zoom. Check the notice, or ask the court coordinator. Clerks can tell you settings.
2. If you haven't been served long enough to answer, still file an answer now.
3. If you want to ask for something yourself (custody, support, use of the home), you generally need your own filed request. You can't usually raise new requests at someone else's hearing without notice.
4. Check your county's local rules and standing orders for what documents must be exchanged before a hearing (see the exchange checklist).
5. Write a 1-page plan: what you want, why, and which exhibit proves each point. Most courts give each side about 20 minutes at a temporary orders hearing.

2. What to bring

• Photo ID and your paperwork, including the notice of hearing
• Four copies of each exhibit (judge, other side, you, and one for the witness to refer to while testifying), marked and in order
• Pay stubs, tax returns, financial statement, and insurance costs if support is at issue
• A proposed order, if you are asking for something
• Your witness list
• Pen, notepad, and a calendar for scheduling the next date

3. Asking for more time (continuance)

A continuance is not automatic. Under Tex. R. Civ. P. 251, a court may grant one only for sufficient cause supported by affidavit, by agreement of the parties, or by operation of law. Many local rules require the court's consent and a verified (sworn) motion. Confer with the other side first and file a certificate of conference. Ask the coordinator how the court handles them. Until the judge grants it, assume the hearing is still on. If the other side agrees, a signed agreed motion is usually easier.

4. If you're not ready, or can't come

• Show up anyway and ask the judge, briefly and politely, for more time. Explain why. The judge may say no.
• If you can't attend because of an emergency, call the court coordinator before the hearing and file your motion as soon as possible.
• If you don't appear, the judge can hear the other side's evidence and sign orders. Some are hard to undo. A default judgment can sometimes be set aside, but only on strict conditions and deadlines (see After judgment).