Rule 6-1432 Default judgments.

If someone sues another person and that person never responds to the lawsuit (by filing an answer or other formal reply), the person who filed the case can ask the court for a default judgment. This means the court can decide the case in their favor because the other side never showed up to defend themselves. To get this judgment, the plaintiff has to give the court solid proof of their claim, like a sworn petition, written statements under oath, or testimony given under oath.

There's one specific requirement to keep in mind. If the lawsuit involves a negotiable instrument, like a check or promissory note, the court won't grant a default judgment unless the original document is turned over to the court so it can be canceled. This step prevents the same document from being used again somewhere else after the judgment is entered.

In short, this rule lets someone move forward with their case when the other party ignores it, but it also builds in a safeguard for cases involving financial documents like notes or checks.