California Legal Codes and Statutes

§ 371

Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 50, Sec. 15. (SB 1005) Effective January 1, 2017.

If spouses are sued together, each may defend for his or her own right, but if one spouse neglects to defend, the other spouse may defend for that spouse’s right also.

Cite this section

Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 371 (2026)
https://ca.codecond.com/codes/ccp/part-2-of-civil-actions/title-3-of-the-parties-to-civil-actions/chapter-2-married-person/section-371

Other sections in Chapter 2 - Married Person

§ 370§ 371

This content is for reference, learning, and study purposes only. All legal text should be verified against the official California Legislative Information website, which is the authoritative source for California law. Data last processed: February 14, 2026.