Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

If the lawsuit is for a breach of contract, and the damages are fixed or capable of easy calculation, then the clerk is authorized to enter a default judgment, which can be requested at the time of requesting the entry of default. There is no fixed statutory time for preparing a default judgment, as it depends on how busy the court is. It can range from the day the judgment package is submitted to the court clerk, to a month or two later.

Nothing happens to you on day 31. If you do not respond, the plaintiff will be entitled to a default judgment, and it can take anywhere from a few days to several months for the plaintiff to get one, depending on numerous factors. Once they have a judgment, they can then make your life miserable in a variety of ways.

In my opinion, sitting back and allowing the default is the worst thing you can do. You lose all control over settlement, payment plans, the amount that is owed, etc. If you owe the money, the time to contact the opposing party and work out a settlement is now, before the default is entered. You also may have defenses to the action that you are nor aware of (that's why God made lawyers), and you may have defenses to enforcement, including bankruptcy court protection.

Given the amount at stake, isn't it worth a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars to consult with an attorney and make an informed decision based on legal advice?

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I agree with Mr. Fox. In addition to his points, you should know that a judgment will show up on credit reports and background checks for years to come. Even if you can't negotiate much of a reduction in the amount, if you can settle and prevent a judgment from being entered you will be better off.