What is an inquest in the courts?
Answer
The Court Help Glossary defines inquest as "[a] legal process to decide a case where only one side is present to testify." The Family Court Glossary has a similar definition: "A proceeding in the Family Court where the respondent, after having been provided due notice, fails to appear, and the petitioner alone introduce testimony."
Civil Practice Law and Rules 3215(b) Default judgment -- Procedure Before Court, and the trial court rules posted below provide guidance on the inquest procedure. Court Help and the NYC Civil Court have posted information on inquest hearings.
For more detailed information on inquest procedure, the public access law libraries' ebook 2 Civil Practice Before Trial 32:290 is an excellent starting point.
- Court Rules
- 22 NYCRR 202.46 Damages, inquest after default; proof (Supreme Court and County Court Rules)
- 22 NYCRR 208.32 Damages, inquest after default; proof (NYC Civil Court Rules)
- 22 NYCRR 210.32 Damages; inquest after default; proof (City Courts Outside the City of New York Rules)
- 22 NYCRR 212.32 Damages, inquest after default; proof (District Court Rules)