A continuance may be granted in any case if there is good ground therefor.
Art. 1601.Discretionary Grounds
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title V. Trial · Chapter 3. Continuance · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1601 gives a Louisiana trial court broad discretion to grant a continuance in any case whenever there is good ground for it, apart from the mandatory grounds Article 1602 sets out separately.
Full Text of Art. 1601
Plain-English Summary
Article 1601 is a single, open-ended sentence, but it establishes an important baseline: a continuance is not limited to the specific mandatory grounds Article 1602 lists. A court can grant one for any good ground, evaluated case by case.
Good ground can cover a wide range of situations the Code does not try to list in advance, such as a scheduling conflict, a late development in the case, or another fairness concern that does not fit neatly into a mandatory category.
The contrast with Article 1602 matters in practice. Article 1601 leaves the decision to the court's discretion; Article 1602 requires the court to grant a continuance once the specific showing is made. A motion for continuance often argues both angles at once, pointing to a peremptory ground if one applies and asking the court to exercise its discretion under Article 1601 if it does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a party have an automatic right to a continuance under Article 1601?
No. Article 1601 is discretionary, requiring only that the court find good ground for granting the continuance.
What counts as good ground for a discretionary continuance?
The article does not define it exhaustively; the court exercises case-by-case judgment about whether the reason offered justifies a continuance.
How is Article 1601 different from Article 1602?
Article 1601 gives the court discretion to grant a continuance for any good ground; Article 1602 requires the court to grant one once a specific showing is made.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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