diff --git a/judgments/management/commands/recalculate_court_dates.py b/judgments/management/commands/recalculate_court_dates.py
index 75b9bf5dd..02769a05f 100644
--- a/judgments/management/commands/recalculate_court_dates.py
+++ b/judgments/management/commands/recalculate_court_dates.py
@@ -22,85 +22,81 @@ def handle(self, *args, **options):
         CourtDates.objects.all().delete()
         for court in courts.get_all():
             self.stdout.write(self.style.NOTICE(f"{court.name}"))
-            if court.canonical_param:
-                search_results = perform_advanced_search(
-                    court=court.canonical_param,
-                    order="date",
-                    per_page=1,
-                )
 
-                oldest_document = SearchResult.create_from_node(
-                    search_results.results[0]
+            if not court.canonical_param:
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    self.style.ERROR(f"{court.name} has no canonical_param! Skipping.")
                 )
+                continue
+
+            start_year = self.get_start_year(court)
+            end_year = self.get_end_year(court)
+
+            if not options["write"]:
+                self.stdout.write(self.style.NOTICE("Skipping write…"))
+                continue
 
-                if oldest_document.date:
-                    start_year = oldest_document.date.year
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.NOTICE(
-                            f"Oldest document: {oldest_document.uri} @ {oldest_document.date.year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-                else:
-                    start_year = court.start_year
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.WARNING(
-                            f"Couldn't find date of oldest document {oldest_document.uri},\
-                                falling back to config value of {court.start_year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-
-                search_results = perform_advanced_search(
-                    court=court.canonical_param,
-                    order="-date",
-                    per_page=1,
+            CourtDates.objects.update_or_create(
+                param=court.canonical_param,
+                defaults={"start_year": start_year, "end_year": end_year},
+            )
+
+    def get_start_year(self, court):
+        start_year = self._get_year_of_first_document_in_order(
+            court.canonical_param, "date", "oldest", court.start_year
+        )
+
+        if start_year < 2000:
+            self.stdout.write(
+                self.style.WARNING(
+                    f"Calculated start year of {start_year} seems improbable, \
+falling back to config value of {court.start_year}"
                 )
+            )
+            start_year = court.start_year
+
+        return start_year
 
-                newest_document = SearchResult.create_from_node(
-                    search_results.results[0]
+    def get_end_year(self, court):
+        end_year = self._get_year_of_first_document_in_order(
+            court.canonical_param, "-date", "newest", court.end_year
+        )
+
+        if end_year > datetime.date.today().year:
+            self.stdout.write(
+                self.style.WARNING(
+                    f"Calculated end year of {end_year} is impossible, \
+falling back to config value of {court.end_year}"
                 )
+            )
+            end_year = court.end_year
 
-                if newest_document.date:
-                    end_year = newest_document.date.year
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.NOTICE(
-                            f"Newest document: {newest_document.uri} @ {newest_document.date.year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-                else:
-                    end_year = court.end_year
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.WARNING(
-                            f"Couldn't find date of newest document {newest_document.uri},\
-                                falling back to config value of {court.end_year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-
-                if start_year < 2000:
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.WARNING(
-                            f"Calculated start year of {start_year} seems improbable,\
-                                falling back to config value of {court.start_year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-                    start_year = court.start_year
-
-                if end_year > datetime.date.today().year:
-                    self.stdout.write(
-                        self.style.WARNING(
-                            f"Calculated end year of {end_year} is impossible,\
-                                falling back to config value of {court.end_year}"
-                        )
-                    )
-                    end_year = court.end_year
-
-                if options["write"]:
-                    CourtDates.objects.update_or_create(
-                        param=court.canonical_param,
-                        defaults={"start_year": start_year, "end_year": end_year},
-                    )
-                else:
-                    self.stdout.write(self.style.NOTICE("Skipping write…"))
-            else:
-                self.stdout.write(
-                    self.style.ERROR(f"{court.name} has no canonical_param! Skipping.")
+        return end_year
+
+    def _get_year_of_first_document_in_order(
+        self, canonical_param, order, document_reference, fallback
+    ):
+        search_results = perform_advanced_search(
+            court=canonical_param,
+            order=order,
+            per_page=1,
+        )
+
+        first_document = SearchResult.create_from_node(search_results.results[0])
+
+        if first_document.date:
+            year = first_document.date.year
+            self.stdout.write(
+                self.style.NOTICE(
+                    f"{document_reference.capitalize()} document: {first_document.uri} @ {first_document.date.year}"
+                )
+            )
+        else:
+            year = fallback
+            self.stdout.write(
+                self.style.WARNING(
+                    f"Couldn't find date of {document_reference} document {first_document.uri}, \
+falling back to config value of {fallback}"
                 )
+            )
+        return year