Court Deadline Calculator (Federal Rules Style)

How to do it

1. 1
   Enter the trigger date

   Type the date of the event that starts the period.

2. 2
   Enter the number of days and direction

   Choose whether you count after or before the trigger date.

3. 3
   Add mail days or closures

   Tick the extra days box and list any extra closure dates.

4. 4
   Read the due date

   See the raw date, the final date and how many days it moved.

5. 5
   Check the days involved

   The result shows calendar days and business days between the dates.

About this tool

Deadlines in federal litigation are counted by a set of rules that are easy to get wrong: you do not count the day of the event, you count every day including weekends for periods in days, and if the last day falls on a weekend or legal holiday the period continues to the next day that is not one. This calculator counts forward or backward from a trigger date, moves the result over weekends and federal holidays, adds optional extra days, lets you add court closure dates and shows the calendar and business days involved.

Who this is for Paralegals, law students, self-represented parties and anyone who needs a quick check of a date. It is a convenience for planning and does not replace the rules of your court or advice from a lawyer.

How days are counted For a period stated in days, exclude the day of the event that triggers the period, count every day including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and include the last day. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not one. For a period counted backward, such as a deadline "7 days before a hearing", the same exclusion applies, but if the last day falls on a weekend or holiday the period continues to run backward to the previous day that is not one.

Extra days and local rules Some rules add days when service is made by mail. The tool has a box for adding extra days (three is a common number) and a space for entering other court closure dates, in the format year-month-day. Local rules, judge orders and statutes can use other methods, such as counting only business days, so confirm which rule governs your deadline.

The holiday list The calculator knows the federal holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. A holiday that falls on a weekend is also treated as closed on the observed weekday.

Worked example A response due 21 days after service on Monday, November 2, 2026 falls on Monday, November 23. A 14-day period triggered on November 12 ends on Thursday, November 26, which is Thanksgiving, so the deadline moves to Friday, November 27. Counting 7 days backward from a hearing on Monday, November 30 gives Monday, November 23.

Limits This tool is a date calculator and not legal advice. Always check the rule, the court's local rules and any order in your case, and file early.

Worked example

21 days after service on Monday, November 2, 2026 is Monday, November 23; 14 days after November 12 lands on Thanksgiving, so the deadline moves to Friday, November 27.