Reserve a Hearing Date (Colorado)

Reserve a Hearing Date (Colorado)

NOT LEGAL ADVICE. This skill helps draft scheduling correspondence. Hearing dates are ultimately the court's to assign.

In Colorado civil practice, the court issues a Notice of Setting to schedule a hearing on a fully-briefed motion. The parties do not self-schedule the way they do in Washington (Note for Motion Docket) or some other states. This skill handles the situations where the parties do need to engage chambers about scheduling.

When the parties initiate scheduling

Contact channels

Different JDs use different channels for chambers contact:

Agent behavior: when drafting a scheduling email, fetch the assigned judge's current practice standards or the JD's chambers roster. Do not cache or guess email addresses — they change at judicial rotation.

Standard scheduling email template

To:      [Chambers / JA email address per judge's practice standards]
CC:      [Opposing counsel — usually required, see below]
Subject: Setting Request — [Motion title and date filed], Case
         No. [Case Number]

Dear [Division ## Judicial Assistant / Chambers / Clerk]:

I am [counsel for / pro se / self-represented] [party name] in the
above-captioned matter assigned to the Honorable [Judge Name],
Division ##.

[Movant party] filed [Motion Title] on [date]. The Response was
filed on [date] [or due to be filed on date], and the Reply was
filed on [date] [or due to be filed on date]. Briefing is now
[complete / will be complete on (date)].

I respectfully request that the Court set this matter for hearing
in accordance with the Judge's practice standards. I estimate the
hearing will require [length] minutes. I have conferred with
opposing [counsel / party], and [we are jointly available on the
following dates and times / opposing counsel has identified the
following dates as unavailable: ...].

Joint availability (or my available dates, if I have not yet
received opposing counsel's response):
  - [Date 1] [Time]
  - [Date 2] [Time]
  - [Date 3] [Time]

Thank you for your assistance.

Respectfully,
[Name]
[Reg. No. if attorney / "Self-Represented" if pro se]
[Phone]
[Email]

Always CC opposing counsel on chambers scheduling emails — ex-parte contact with the court on substantive matters is prohibited under Colo. R. Prof. Conduct 3.5(b). Scheduling discussions are borderline but the safe practice is to include opposing counsel / party.

Joint Motion to Continue template (when already scheduled)

When a set hearing needs to be moved:

                [Caption]

        JOINT MOTION TO CONTINUE HEARING
            (UNDER C.R.C.P. 121 § 1-11)

The parties, by and through [counsel], jointly move the Court to
continue the hearing currently set for [date] at [time] on
Defendant's Motion to [Title], and in support state:

1. The hearing is currently set for [date and time] in Division ##.

2. [Reason for continuance — counsel conflict, witness availability,
   newly developed need for additional briefing, family-law
   mediation pending, etc.].

3. The parties have conferred and jointly request that the hearing
   be reset to one of the following dates (in order of preference):
     a. [Date 1] [Time]
     b. [Date 2] [Time]
     c. [Date 3] [Time]

4. No party will be prejudiced by this continuance.

WHEREFORE, the parties jointly request that the Court vacate the
hearing currently set for [date] and reset the hearing to a mutually
available date.

[Signature blocks for both parties' counsel / both pro se parties]

Hearing-length estimation guidance

Composition

• For drafting the underlying motion: co-draft-motion
• For the notice that goes out after the court sets the hearing: co-draft-note
• For hearing-day prep and protocol: co-hearings
• For court-specific scheduling channels: co-denver, co-arapahoe, co-county-courts
• For deadlines and timing: co-deadlines

References

• references/scheduling-email-template.md
• references/joint-motion-to-continue-template.md
• references/chambers-contacts.md — JD-by-JD scheduling contact channels
• references/judge-practice-standards-index.md