This packet contains the forms and instructions needed to ask for a default judgment in Superior Court.

The instructions are for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. If you do not understand this information, contact an attorney. If your specific situation is beyond the scope of this packet, contact an attorney.

A default judgment is both a court order (when the court decides that the Defendant is in default) and a judgment (when the court decides what the Defendant owes the Plaintiff). A default judgment makes the person who started the lawsuit the winner of the case because the person who was being sued never responded to the lawsuit. 

A response to a lawsuit can happen in three ways. Two of the ways are formal and one is informal. 

The two formal ways of responding to a lawsuit are to file an Answer or a Notice of Appearance within the time allowed by the Summons. 

The informal way is for the Defendant to take any action (except objecting to the court’s jurisdiction) that recognizes that the case is in court. This informal action needs to have happened after the Defendant received the Summons and Complaint and within the time allowed by the Summons. Just a few examples of the informal action by the Defendant could be: 

• making a phone call to the Plaintiff to talk about the case
• sending a letter to the Plaintiff about the case
• sending the Plaintiff court papers relating to the case

When the Defendant has filed an Answer in the case then they have “answered.” When the Defendant has filed a Notice of Appearance in the case or has taken one of the informal actions discussed above, then they have “appeared.” 

To help decide if the default judgment process is right for your situation, review Washington Civil Rule 55 for information on default judgments, or contact an attorney.