A no-answer default judgment is a legal ruling (in favor of the plaintiff) issued by a court when the defendant either fails to appear in court or does not file a timely answer to the plaintiff’s complaint.
In federal court, Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governs and states that a party can be found in default if they fail to plead or otherwise defend themselves from a party seeking affirmative relief. However, Rule 55(c) provides that the court has the discretion to set aside an entry of default for good cause.
Most state courts have adopted the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as their own procedural code, but rules regarding default judgment may vary by jurisdiction.
See also: default judgment
[Last updated in July of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]