§ 587.5.Construction of Terms

Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 2. Judgment Upon Failure to Answer · Enacted 1986 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 587.5 defines three terms used throughout this chapter's default-judgment rules, providing that "complaint" includes a cross-complaint, "defendant" includes a cross-defendant, and "plaintiff" includes a cross-complainant unless the context specifically requires otherwise.

Full Text of § 587.5

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise specifically requires, the following terms apply:

(a) "Complaint" includes a cross-complaint.

(b) "Defendant" includes a cross-defendant.

Plain-English Summary

This short section is a translation key for the rest of the chapter. Wherever §§ 585 through 587 refer to a "complaint," "defendant," or "plaintiff," those words also reach the cross-complaint equivalent — a cross-complaint, a cross-defendant, and a cross-complainant — unless the surrounding context specifically requires a narrower reading.

That's what lets § 585(e) treat an unanswered cross-complaint the same way it treats an unanswered original complaint, and lets § 586's list of default-triggering events apply just as naturally to a defendant who ignores a cross-complaint as to one who ignores the plaintiff's own pleading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this chapter's default procedure apply to cross-complaints?

Yes. Section 587.5 defines "complaint" to include a cross-complaint, so the default rules in §§ 585 through 587 apply to cross-complaints in the same way.

Who counts as a "defendant" for these default rules?

Anyone who would ordinarily be called a defendant, plus any cross-defendant.

Who counts as a "plaintiff"?

An ordinary plaintiff, plus any cross-complainant.

Amendment History

Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 540, Sec. 10.

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: cross-complaint default judgment definitions california