You know you had a court date for your divorce, and you intended to go, but you marked the wrong day on your calendar and you missed it. Now what happens?

In cases like this, it may be possible to ask the court to reschedule. You need to explain why you missed the appearance. If this is the first time, they’ll probably be more lenient with you — but this is definitely a good time to reach out to your attorney.

Are you in contempt of court?

You may be held in contempt of court, but only in situations where it appears you’re skipping court dates on purpose and trying to obstruct the case. If you made an honest mistake, you’re not going to instantly run into serious issues. 

Can’t your spouse get a default divorce?

There are cases where your spouse can ask for a default divorce without your input. Generally, though, this happens if you completely ignore the entire process and don’t even respond to the divorce papers. The court will give you time to respond, but there is a point where they’ll determine that your spouse can just get divorced without your input. They simply don’t want to allow you to force your spouse to remain in a marriage they’re no longer interested in. 

What legal steps should you take?

If you run into any of these issues with missed court dates and other errors, be very sure you know what legal steps to take. You do not want to do anything that can jeopardize your chances to get the results you need in your divorce. You need to take prompt action to get things back on track.