Rule 3031 Judgment upon Default or Admission. Assessment of Damages

When someone is sued and fails to respond to the lawsuit by the required deadline, the plaintiff can ask the court clerk (called the prothonotary in Pennsylvania) to enter a default judgment against them. The plaintiff fills out a form called a praecipe that tells the clerk how much money is owed, and the clerk enters that amount as the judgment.

A default judgment can also happen if the person being sued actually admits in their court papers that they owe something. In that case, the clerk can enter a judgment for whatever amount was admitted.

A judge can also step in and enter a judgment in either of these situations if one of the parties asks the court to do so. This gives the court flexibility to handle more complicated cases where the clerk cannot simply calculate the damages on their own.