What is a default judgment?

A default judgment is a judgment entered in favor of one party when the other does not respond to a legal request. In the state of California, when it comes to divorce law, a default judgment usually occurs when one party does not show up to court or respond to the court documents. If the responding party does not respond or show up to court, the court may issue a default judgment in favor of the petitioner. This means that the petitioner now receives what they had asked for in the original documents without any argument in court from the other party. In California, the petitioner must follow certain procedures to obtain the default judgment. This includes: notifying the responding party that they are filing for a divorce, serving them with court documents, and then filing a request with the court for a default judgment. After a request for a default judgment is filed, the court will usually grant the judgment if the responding party does not respond. In the state of California, if a default judgment is granted, that judgment is final and binding. The responding party cannot come back later and dispute the judgment. In addition, the court will not look at any other evidence submitted after the default judgment has been granted.

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