A judgment finalized when one party in a marital dissolution proceeding in Maryland fails to respond to the initial complaint or otherwise participate in the legal process. This outcome occurs when the defendant, after being properly served with a divorce complaint, neglects to file an answer within the prescribed time frame or fails to appear in court as required. The plaintiff can then request that the court enter a finding of default against the non-responsive party, potentially leading to a resolution on the plaintiff’s terms.
Such a resolution can streamline the dissolution process, saving time and legal expenses for the party actively pursuing the divorce. It allows the moving party to proceed with presenting evidence and arguments to the court without the opposition of the other spouse. Historically, these outcomes were less common due to stricter service requirements, but modern procedural rules provide clearer guidelines for establishing proper notification, thus increasing the likelihood of this resolution when one party is unresponsive.
