What will happen if I don’t show up to small claims court?
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What will happen if I don’t show up to small claims court?
Asked on August 19, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, Wisconsin
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
I assume that you are a debtor being sued by a creditor. In a lawsuit, your creditor is the Plaintiff and you are the Defendant. When a Defendant fails to appear in court, they have "defaulted'. This means that the Plaintiff automatically wins. The court will then grant the Plaintiff what is known as a "default jugement". With such a judgement the Plaintiff can garnish the Defendant's wages, seize personal non-exempt property and can get a lien on the defendant's real property, if any.
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