Once a lawsuit is filed, the parties to the lawsuit and the court make the determination of whether the claims will be heard at trial.  Either of the parties may notice a claim to be heard on a specific date in a specific courtroom.  In addition, if a court or the Trial Court Administrator's office determines that the matter needs to be heard because it has been pending for a significant amount of time, a notice may be generated by the court system calling the claims to trial.  Each judicial district in the State of North Carolina follow different administrative rules with regards to how long a claim can be pending before being called to trial by the court.  In addition, in certain matters, such as child custody, it may be a requirement that the parties participate in a custody mediation prior to the claims being scheduled for trial.