Magistrates' Courts Rules count court days the same way; there is no December recess exclusion.
| Step | Period | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of intention to defend due | +10 court days | Magistrates' Courts Rule 13(1) |
| Default judgment may be requested if no notice to defend | +1 court day after the previous step | Magistrates' Courts Rule 12(1) |
| Plea due if the notice to defend arrives on its last day | +20 court days after the previous step | Magistrates' Courts Rule 17(1) |
| Then | By |
|---|---|
| Notice of intention to defend due+10 court days · Magistrates' Courts Rule 13(1) | Fri 30 Oct 2026 |
| Default judgment may be requested if no notice to defend+1 court day · Magistrates' Courts Rule 12(1) | Mon 2 Nov 2026 |
| Plea due if the notice to defend arrives on its last day+20 court days · Magistrates' Courts Rule 17(1) | Mon 30 Nov 2026 |
Public holidays inside this window, skipped by the count: Local government elections (4 Nov).
A working aid computed from the published rule, not legal advice. Confirm against the rule and diarise with a margin. Firms on AttorneyOS get this table on the matter itself, with every date in the diary.
10 court days from the day it happened, counted in court days, which exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (Uniform Rule 1). The rule is Magistrates' Courts Rule 13(1). If the last day is not a court day, check whether the rule carries it to the next one.
1 court day from the previous step, counted in court days, which exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (Uniform Rule 1). The rule is Magistrates' Courts Rule 12(1). If the last day is not a court day, check whether the rule carries it to the next one.
20 court days from the previous step, counted in court days, which exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (Uniform Rule 1). The rule is Magistrates' Courts Rule 17(1). If the last day is not a court day, check whether the rule carries it to the next one.
They are computed from the published rule by the AttorneyOS deadline engine and are a working aid, not legal advice. Confirm the deadline against the rule itself and diarise it with a margin.
More: every trigger in the library · served today · court days calculator · this week in practice.