Rule 6.030.Postponement of Trial
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 6.030
Plain-English Summary
A request to postpone a trial must be by motion. The motion is signed by the attorney of record and carries a certificate that the attorney has advised the client of the request. It must then set out the date scheduled for trial, the reason for the request, the dates previously set for trial, the date of each previous postponement, and whether any party objects. Put together, the court sees the whole scheduling history rather than one date and one excuse.
When the reason is a conflicting proceeding in another court, the motion adds a second layer: the name of the court where the conflict exists, the date of the conflict, the date the other proceeding is to begin, the case number and filing date of the conflicting case, the date that case was set for trial, and the information required by UTCR 6.040(2). Those facts are what the presiding judges of the affected courts would need to compare the cases against each other.
A stipulated civil postponement runs on its own track. The new trial date must fall within the time periods set out in UTCR 7.020(5). The motion must be filed at least 28 days before the date then set for trial, be signed by the attorneys of record, carry a certificate that the attorneys advised their clients of the stipulation and the clients agree, and state the scheduled date, the new date requested, and that the new date is open on the court's trial docket. Checking the docket before filing is part of the job. The rule's own 1993 note records the committee's recommendation that a court generally allow a stipulated motion when the requested date can be reasonably accommodated.
Two procedural points close the rule. The motion may be decided by summary determination without a hearing, so the paper is often all the court sees. And motions to postpone are not subject to UTCR chapter 5, except UTCR 5.040 and 5.060, which means chapter 5's ordinary motion practice does not govern here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ask the court to move my trial date in Oregon?
File a motion. It must be signed by the attorney of record and contain a certificate that the attorney has told the client about the request. The motion then has to state the scheduled trial date, the reason, every earlier trial date, the date of each earlier postponement, and whether anyone objects.
Do both sides have to agree before a trial can be postponed?
No. An ordinary motion to postpone only has to disclose whether any party objects, and the court decides. Agreement matters because it unlocks the stipulated route, which carries its own requirements: a new date within the periods in UTCR 7.020(5), filing at least 28 days before the date then set, signatures from the attorneys of record, and a certificate that the clients were advised and agree.
Will the court hold a hearing on my motion to postpone?
Not necessarily. The rule says the motion may be decided by a summary determination without a hearing, so write the motion as though it is the only thing the judge will read.
I am due in two different courts on the same day. What does this rule require?
Move to postpone in one of them, and include the extra facts subsection (3) calls for: the name of the court where the conflict exists, the date of the conflict, when the other proceeding begins, the case number and filing date of the conflicting case, the date it was set for trial, and the information required by UTCR 6.040(2).
If no court will move, the conflict itself gets resolved through the scheduling conflict procedure rather than through this rule.
Does the ordinary motion practice in chapter 5 apply to a motion to postpone?
Mostly no. Motions to postpone are exempt from UTCR chapter 5 except for UTCR 5.040 and 5.060. The rule's own 1993 note also records that the court has discretion to allow or deny a postponement under ORCP 52 and under this rule.