Legal Definitions - contested hearing

A contested hearing is a legal proceeding where at least one party has objections to one or more matters before the court. It is usually open to the public and held to decide issues of fact or law, sometimes with witnesses testifying.

• In a child custody case, a contested hearing may be held to determine which parent should have custody of the child.
• In a criminal case, a contested hearing may be held to determine the admissibility of evidence that was obtained illegally.
• In an administrative law case, a contested hearing may be held to allow an affected person to present arguments to an agency decision-maker.

These examples illustrate how a contested hearing is a legal proceeding where parties have opposing views and present evidence and arguments to the court or decision-maker to resolve the matter at hand.