Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Post-answer default judgment: This is when someone sues another person and the person being sued responds, but then doesn't show up to court or defend themselves. When this happens, the person who filed the lawsuit automatically wins without having to prove their case in court. This is called a default judgment.
A post-answer default judgment is a legal decision made in favor of the plaintiff when the defendant fails to appear in court or present a defense after filing a timely answer. This means that even though the defendant responded to the plaintiff's complaint, they did not show up to court or provide any evidence to support their case.
Let's say that John is suing Jane for breach of contract. Jane files an answer to John's complaint, but fails to show up to court on the day of the trial. The judge may then issue a post-answer default judgment in favor of John, since Jane did not present a defense on the merits of the case.
Another example could be a landlord suing a tenant for unpaid rent. The tenant files an answer to the complaint, but fails to appear in court or provide any evidence to support their case. The judge may then issue a post-answer default judgment in favor of the landlord, since the tenant did not present a defense on the merits of the case.
These examples illustrate how a post-answer default judgment can be issued when the defendant fails to appear in court or present a defense after filing a timely answer. It is important for defendants to show up to court and provide evidence to support their case, or else they risk losing the case by default.