{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "cplr", "section": "1203", "citation": "CPLR § 1203", "heading": "Default judgment", "text": ["§ 1203. Default judgment. No judgment by default may be entered against an infant or a person judicially declared to be incompetent unless his representative appeared in the action or twenty days have expired since appointment of a guardian ad litem for him. No default judgment may be entered against an adult incapable of adequately protecting his rights for whom a guardian ad litem has been appointed unless twenty days have expired since the appointment."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/1203", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "A protected person cannot immediately lose by default.\n\n- **A child or judicially declared incompetent person** may face a default judgment only if their representative appeared, or **20 days** have passed since a guardian ad litem was appointed. ★\n- **An adult unable to protect their rights adequately** who has a guardian ad litem may face default only after **20 days from that appointment**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/cplr/1203", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}