Rule 15.DEFAULT JUDGMENTS

Rule 15 puts the legwork of confirming a default is properly supported on the party asking for it, rather than leaving the judge to dig through the file before signing off. Before a default judgment gets entered, the moving party has to certify several specific facts in writing.

The certificate covers how and when the defendant was served, and addresses proof of service in particular: it states whether proof of service was filed within five business days of the service date, and if not, gives the actual date it was filed. It also certifies that court records show no defensive pleading from the defendant — the core fact that makes a default appropriate in the first place — and, where required, states the defendant’s military status, a check tied to protections against defaulting servicemembers.

None of this is optional paperwork filed separately; the certificate has to be in writing and physically attached to the proposed default judgment when it goes to the judge for signature, so the judge can review the certification and the judgment together in one document.