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Law vocabulary · Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

Default judgment

Meaning in law, with examples

nounCommon term

In law, default judgment means: A judgment given against a defendant who has not responded to the claim or not taken a required step in time, without a full trial.

In Turkish: davalının cevap vermemesi üzerine verilen karar, gıyabi karar

How it is used

A claimant 'applies for' or 'obtains' default judgment, and a defendant who missed the deadline for a good reason may 'apply to set it aside'. It is common in debt collection, where many defendants never reply.

Example sentences

  1. The defendant never filed a defence, so we obtained default judgment.

  2. The court set aside the default judgment because the claim form had been sent to the wrong address.

Common collocations

  • obtain default judgment
  • apply for default judgment
  • set aside a default judgment
  • enter default judgment
  • judgmentThe final decision of a court in a case, together with the reasons the judge gives for it; also the written document that contains this decision.
  • summonsAn official document from a court ordering a person to appear before it, or telling a defendant that a case has been started against them.
  • serveTo deliver a legal document, such as a claim, summons or notice, to a person in the way the rules require, so that it officially reaches them.
  • set asideTo cancel a court order, judgment or arbitration award so that it no longer has any legal effect.
  • defendantThe person or company that a case is brought against: the side that must answer a civil claim or a criminal charge.

More terms: Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.