Served with a Civil Summons or Complaint? Four Steps for Preparing Your Civil Answer Filing a Counterclaim A counterclaim is a claim by the defendant against the plaintiff. If you are being sued, this is your opportunity to assert your own claims against the debt collector or other plaintiff....
The answer gives the plaintiff notice of the issues the defendant will raise as the case progresses and enables the plaintiff to adequately prepare a case. In most jurisdictions, the answer must be filed within twenty days after receipt of the summons and complaint, although local rules and cust...
Determine your deadline to respond.The summons should include a date or time period by which you must respond. Typically, you have 20 days from the date you were served with the documents to respond to the lawsuit. However, this period may specify business days, or may be extended for cer...
In most jurisdictions, the answer must be filed within twenty days after receipt of the summons and complaint, although local rules and customs may dictate different filing times. The answer begins with a caption, which identifies the location of the action, the court, the docket or file ...