What if the defendant fails to answer?

The time period to file an answer is 20 days. If the defendant fails to file an answer, or pay court costs when filing an answer, the case is said to “be in default.” When that occurs, the court can enter a judgment in the case in favor of the plaintiff.

The Court will review the file and determine if the judgment can be entered automatically, without further evidence or hearing, or whether the court is required to schedule the matter for a default judgment hearing to determine the amount of damages to be awarded, if any.

The source of this information may be internal or external to the Gallatin County Justice Court. The Gallatin County Justice Court makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information. However, the information provided in this document is for your information only. The Gallatin County Justice Court makes no explicit or implied claims to the validity of this information.