If you don't file a response to divorce papers, your spouse can request a default. This means asking the court to decide the case without your input. In a default divorce, the court makes the final decisions based on the information from your spouse, and what the law says, without hearing your side.
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.
Rule 55.1 (1) prohibits entry of default against a defendant where the documentation required by Rule 8.1 has not been provided; (2) requires a determination that the plaintiff is entitled to judgment in the amount claimed prior to entry of a default judgment; and (3) requires reverification of the defendant's address ...
A default is a failure to perform a duty in legal proceedings. A default judgment is binding, and the defaulting defendant may not litigate his case or present any evidence. A civil action default judgment will grant the amount of relief sought in a plaintiff's complaint.
Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections-When and How Presented-By Pleading or Motion-Motion for Judgment on Pleadings (a) When Presented. (1) After service upon him of any pleading requiring a responsive pleading, a party shall serve such responsive pleading within 20 days unless otherwise directed by order of the court.
Entry of judgment is a final recording of the decision and opinion, if the court made one.
A very important fact you should keep in mind is that California courts do impose a timeline for seeking entry of a default judgment. Specifically, a request for entry of default must be filed within 10 days following a defendant's failure to timely file and serve a responsive pleading.
An entry of default is the first step to obtaining a default judgment against a party, and allows you to proceed in the action without further notice or input from the opposing party. An entry of default can come in two forms, an entry by the clerk or an entry by the judge.