How low appearance rates impact courts

Background 

Every year, tens of millions of legal disputes end up in the state courts; in 2023 alone, over 67 million new cases were filed¹. Despite the vital importance of these legal problems, however, courts throughout the country report significant numbers of missed appearances — cases where a litigant does not come to court (virtually or in-person) at the scheduled date and time.

Previous work has explored the financial, logistical, and informational barriers that prevent people from attending court and the negative consequences for litigants of a missed court date. But large numbers of missed appearances can also negatively impact the courts themselves.

Why this matters

In a new report, Missing In Actions: How low appearance rates impact courts, we outline four ways that courts and court staff are impacted by missed appearances. The report details several models to help stakeholders quantify and calculate how missed appearances impact court resource allocation. As the report illustrates, implementing solutions that increase appearance rates can support the more efficient usage of scarce resources while also bolstering a court's ability to ensure access to justice.

Read the full report