What happens if the defendant does not show up to the hearing?

If the defendant was properly served and still fails to appear, the judge will typically hear the case in their absence and issue a default judgment against the defendant based on the plaintiff's evidence. The defendant then has a limited period to apply to have the default judgment set aside, which requires showing a valid reason for the absence and a credible defence on the merits. Default judgments are enforceable through the Execution Office in exactly the same way as contested judgments.