Simple English definitions for legal terms
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When someone is sued and they don't respond to the lawsuit, the person who sued them can ask the court to give them a default judgment. This means that the person who didn't respond automatically loses the case. To get a default judgment, the person who sued has to show the court that the other person didn't respond and prove how much money they should get. The judge will then sign a paper saying that the person who sued wins the case.
Definition: To obtain a final decision in a lawsuit against a defendant who failed to respond to the plaintiff's claim on time. This process involves informing the court of the defendant's failure to respond, proving damages, and submitting a proposed judgment for the judge to sign.
Example: If a plaintiff files a lawsuit against a defendant and the defendant fails to respond within the given time frame, the plaintiff can ask the court to take a default judgment. This means that the plaintiff automatically wins the case because the defendant did not defend themselves.
Explanation: A default judgment is a legal decision made in favor of the plaintiff because the defendant did not respond to the lawsuit. Taking a default judgment means that the plaintiff is asking the court to make a final decision in their favor because the defendant did not participate in the legal process. This can happen in different situations, such as when the defendant fails to file an answer or does not show up in court after filing an answer.