Louisiana Motion for Default
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FAQ
If the parties have resided apart the required length of time, and no response has been filed by the other party, the attorney files a Motion for Preliminary Default. The parties must live apart for 180 days prior to filing the petition for divorce. The judge will then likely sign the Motion for Preliminary Default.
A default judgment (also known as judgment by default) is a ruling granted by a judge or court in favor of a plaintiff in the event that the defendant in a legal case fails to respond to a court summons or does not appear in court.
A default judgment can be entered by a clerk or by a judge. In simple civil cases and where the defendant is neither a minor nor an incompetent person, the clerk, with an affidavit showing the amount due, can enter the judgment for that amount.
A judgment of default must be confirmed by proof of the demand sufficient to establish a prima facie case. If no answer is filed timely, this confirmation may be made after two days, exclusive of holidays, from the entry of the judgment of default.
A motion for default judgment is an official court document filed by a creditor or debt collector (known as the plaintiff to the case), notifying the court that the person being sued (known as the defendant) never responded to the case Summons and Complaint.
The state of Louisiana is unique in that nearly all civil actions have a one-year statute of limitations (most states range from two to five years for more claims). The exceptions are the three-year limits on collections of rent and debts and a 10-year statute of limitations for contracts and judgments.
In suits in a parish court or a city court, if the defendant fails to answer timely, or if he fails to appear at the trial, and the plaintiff establishes a prima facie case by competent and admissible evidence, a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff may be rendered.
