What happens if one party doesn't show up for a scheduled case conference?

If one party doesn't attend a scheduled case conference, the conference generally still goes ahead with the party who did show up, and the judge has discretion about how to handle the absence — options include proceeding with whatever can be addressed based on the materials filed, adjourning the conference to a later date, or, in some circumstances, making orders based on the information available, particularly if the absent party had proper notice and no reasonable explanation.

Missing a court date without a good reason can also lead to costs consequences against the absent party, since the other side may have incurred costs preparing for and attending an appearance that couldn't proceed as planned. If someone has a genuine reason for missing a conference, such as illness or an emergency, promptly notifying the court and the other party, and asking to reschedule as soon as possible, generally puts them in a much better position than simply not appearing and dealing with it afterward. Repeated non-attendance is taken more seriously by courts than a single missed date with a reasonable explanation.