How does a default judgment arise in civil proceedings?

A default judgment occurs in civil proceedings when a defendant fails to respond to a complaint or does not file a defense within the stipulated time frame. This situation results in the court granting a judgment in favor of the plaintiff without the defendant's input, usually because the rules of procedure require the defendant to take specific actions in a timely manner.

When a defendant does not participate—either by ignoring the summons or failing to file an appropriate response or defense—the plaintiff can request a default judgment, leading to the court concluding the matter in their absence. In such cases, the court will often rely on the facts alleged by the plaintiff, provided they are not implausible or legally insufficient.

The other scenarios do not lead to a default judgment because they involve different circumstances regarding the parties' participation or merits of the case. For example, if the plaintiff fails to appear, the court may dismiss the case altogether but not grant a judgment in favor of the defendant. Insufficient evidence would involve a contested judgment where both sides present their case and the court finds for one party based on the merits. Lastly, if a plaintiff withdraws their claim, there would be no basis for a default judgment since that indicates a choice to stop proceedings rather than a situation where the defendant fails