Responding to a Default in California

[flaca]

I was served a summons last month & made arrangements for a payment plan with the lawyers office that was serving me. Then I just received a entry of default. I didn't know I had to reply & of course the lawyers office didn't tell me I had to respond.
1.Now that I'm in default do I still have to make the court appearance in february?
2. Will they be able to terminate my payment plan & garnish me?
3. What do I need to do in preparation for the court appearance & take with me?

Any help will be greatly appreciated because I'm completely lost. I do owe the money & want to pay it but can only afford the payments that I am making right now & am so afraid that if they garnish me that I will have to file bankrupcy

[Mr. Knowitall]

1.Now that I'm in default do I still have to make the court appearance in february?

If a default judgment has been entered, that would normally end the case unless you successfully have the judgment set aside by the court.

2. Will they be able to terminate my payment plan & garnish me?

Yes, but you should be able to request a periodic payment plan from the court. Given that they had already agreed to such a plan, assuming you made all of your payments on time, there would be little basis for them to oppose such a request.

3. What do I need to do in preparation for the court appearance & take with me?

You can call the court to confirm, but if you're still speaking of a hearing scheduled before the default was entered (and do not successfully have the default set aside), that's probably no longer going to occur. What you would take to a hearing, also, depends upon the type of hearing that has been scheduled.