Rule 145.01 Default Judgments

If someone sues you in small claims court and you don't show up for your trial date, the judge can still make a decision on the case without you there. The person who filed the claim will need to present evidence showing they have a valid case. If the judge agrees the evidence is good enough, they can order you to pay the amount that was claimed against you, or less.

This is called a default judgment. It happens because the court needs both sides to show up to hear a fair fight over the facts. If you skip your court date, you lose your chance to tell your side of the story or challenge what the other person says. The judge can only base the ruling on what the person suing you presents in court.

The judgment amount can't be more than what was originally claimed in the lawsuit. So if someone sued you for $2,000, the judge won't order you to pay more than that, even by default. If this happens to you, you may be able to ask the court to reopen the case, but it's much better to show up to your trial date in the first place.