In all other cases judgment shall be rendered on the merits.
§ 582.Judgment Rendered On Merits
Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 1. Judgment in General · Last amended 1947 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 582 supplies the residual rule that in all cases not otherwise addressed by the preceding dismissal and judgment provisions, judgment shall be rendered on the merits.
Full Text of § 582
Plain-English Summary
After the detailed dismissal rules of § 581 and the nonsuit procedure of § 581c, this section is a short catch-all: for whatever isn't covered by those specific mechanisms, the default outcome is a judgment on the merits.
It's a small provision, but it reflects the underlying preference running through this whole title — that cases end with an actual decision on the substance of the dispute, with dismissal on procedural grounds reserved for the specific circumstances the statutes spell out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does § 582 add to the dismissal rules in § 581?
It's the residual rule: outside the specific dismissal and nonsuit scenarios those other sections address, judgment is rendered on the merits.
Does this section create a new procedure?
No, it functions as a default rule confirming that cases not resolved through the mechanisms in the preceding sections are decided on their merits.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1947, Ch. 990.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: judgment on the merits californiacalifornia civil procedure default judgment rule