Shortening time is a court order made per the request of a party by a motion filed, allowing a motion or other legal matter to be set at a time shorter than provided by law or rules of court. Shortening time is usually granted when the time for trial or some other court action is approaching, and a hearing must be heard promptly by the judge. For example, local rules require that a party give the other side ten days' notice before a hearing. If the trial is set to begin in nine days, a court might shorten the time to schedule a hearing to five days, provided the notice is served within 24 hours.
[Last updated in September of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]