(a) Generally. — On motion of any party or on its own initiative, the court may continue or postpone a trial or other proceeding as justice may require.
Rule 3-508.Continuance or postponement
District Court · Last amended January 1, 2018 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3-508 covers when the District Court can push back a trial date, and warns that unfinished discovery is not, by itself, a good enough reason.
Full Text of Rule 3-508
(b) Discovery not completed. — When an action has been assigned a trial date, the trial shall not be continued or postponed on the ground that discovery has not yet been completed, except for good cause shown.
(c) Costs. — When granting a continuance or postponement for a reason other than one stated in Rule 16-804 (e), the court may assess costs and expenses occasioned by the continuance or postponement.
Amendment History
Amended June 20, 2017, effective August 1, 2017; October 10, 2017, effective January 1, 2018.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived as follows: Section (a) is derived from former M.D.R. 527. Section (b) is derived from former M.D.R. 526. Section (c) is derived from former Rule 527 e.
Plain-English Summary
Trials get postponed for all kinds of reasons, and Rule 3-508 gives the court broad authority to grant a continuance whenever justice requires it — on a party's motion or on the court's own initiative. That flexibility has one notable limit: once a case has a trial date, the fact that discovery is not finished is not, on its own, grounds for continuing the trial. A party has to show good cause beyond running out of time to complete discovery.
Continuances are not always free. When the court grants one for a reason other than those tied to the court's own scheduling authority under Rule 16-804(e), it can assess the costs and expenses the continuance caused against the party responsible for it — a check against using postponement requests to run up the other side's costs or delay a case without consequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a trial postponed because I haven't finished discovery?
Not just because discovery is incomplete. Once a trial date is set, unfinished discovery is not by itself grounds for a continuance; you need to show good cause.
Does the judge need a request from a party to postpone a trial?
No. The court can continue or postpone a trial or other proceeding on its own initiative, or on a motion from either party, whenever justice requires it.
If I ask for a continuance and get one, will I have to pay for it?
Possibly. When the court grants a continuance for a reason outside the court's own scheduling authority, it can assess the costs and expenses the postponement caused against the responsible party.
What counts as good cause to postpone a trial because of discovery?
Rule 3-508 does not define good cause with a checklist; it leaves that judgment to the court based on the circumstances of the case. The point of the rule is that running out of time on discovery, standing alone, does not qualify.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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