Hand deliver or send by regular mail a copy of the completed Answer form to the plaintiff’s attorney. If the plaintiff does not have an attorney, send your completed answer form to the plaintiff by regular and certified mail. This MUST be done at the same time you file your Answer with the court on or before.
Full Answer
Certified mail is recommended. *Note: If the defendant does not file an answer, you will need to pay for the papers to be hand delivered. The defendant can file a written answer to the court within 35 days of getting the court summons. If the defendant files an answer, the court will send you a notice with a date to appear in court.
The complaint tells the judge what the dispute is about, and what the person suing you wants from you. The plaintiff, or person suing you, cannot proceed with his or her lawsuit until you have received a copy of the complaint and summons and have legal notice of it.
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 certain court holidays.
These forms will be available at the clerk's office of the court that issued the summons. Research the law for the case. Once you've read the complaint and understand why you are being sued, the elements of the law can give you insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the case against you.
1. You must send an ANSWER to the court within 35 days from the date the Summons was sent to you. That date is shown on the summons you received. Your Answer must be accompanied by either a $30 filing fee, or if you cannot afford the $30 fee, a fee waiver request.
Provide the name of the court at the top of the Answer. You can find the information on the summons. ... List the name of the plaintiff on the left side. ... Write the case number on the right side of the Answer. ... Address the Judge and discuss your side of the case. ... Ask the judge to dismiss the case.
To respond, you need to follow these four steps:Create an Answer document.Respond to each issue of the Complaint.Assert your affirmative defenses.File one copy of the Answer document with the court and serve the plaintiff with another copy.
within 35 daysDefendant(s) must file an answer to the complaint along with the appropriate filing fee within 35 days after service of the complaint. After the complaint is served and an answer is filed, the discovery period begins.
Write your answer Only tell the court that you agree, disagree or you do not know if the statement is true. Lawyers usually write "the Defendant admits...," if you agree with the statement. They write "Defendant denies...," if you disagree with the statement.
An affirmative defense says, essentially, “even if what you're saying is true, I'm not liable for reason XYZ.” Examples of affirmative defenses include bankruptcy, statute of limitations and self-defense.
Ask CFPBWho you're talking to (get the person's name)The name of the debt collection company they work for.The company's address and phone number.The name of the original creditor.The amount owed.How you can dispute the debt or ensure that the debt is yours.
The fee to file a Warrant of Satisfaction on a case without a docketed judgment is $35.00.
A debt collection lawsuit can potentially be resolved with debt settlement. You can do this on your own or hire a debt settlement attorney to help. You can make a payment plan with the creditor to pay off the sum of the debt or partially pay the sum in a lump-sum settlement.
Be brief. Answer the allegations in the complaint with one or two sentences. Again remember that the statements you make in your answer can be used as admissions against you. Your response to the allegations in the complaint may admit part of the statement in the specific paragraph and deny part.
— If the defendant fails to answer within the time specified in these rules, the court shall, upon motion of the plaintiff, order judgment against the defendant by default, and thereupon the court shall proceed to receive the plaintiff's evidence and render judgment granting him such relief as the complaint and the ...
The cost of filing in the Special Civil Part-Civil is $54.00 if you are filing a case against one defendant, plus $6.00 for each additional defendant. HOW DO I FILE A LAWSUIT? There are at least two parties in a suit.
The summons provides logistical details for you, including a statement of the fact that you have the right to respond to the complaint in writing within a certain amount of time. It will tell you how long you have to respond, and where you should take your written response.
If you don't file a written response to the lawsuit, the judge will assume that you agree with everything the plaintiff stated in the complaint. The time limit may be different depending on the type of case filed. Make sure you read your summons carefully, as it will tell you how long you have to respond.
1. Read the complaint and summons. The complaint and summons provide information on who is suing you, why you are being sued, and how long you have to respond to the lawsuit. The complaint tells the judge what the dispute is about, and what the person suing you wants from you. The plaintiff, or person suing you, ...
If you are served with a summons and complaint, it means an individual or company is suing you in civil court. The summons notifies you that you are being sued, while the complaint provides details regarding who is suing you and why. [1]
For example, if your neighbor is suing you for breach of contract, but his complaint does not allege that the two of you entered into a contractual agreement, you could state that he failed to state a claim.
If the judge doesn't grant your motion, you have a brief period of time to file your answer – typically about 10 days.
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 certain court holidays.
If he or she has failed to include all the required elements, you may be able to file a motion to have the complaint dismissed.
Research the law. Check any law cited in the complaint as well as related laws to determine if you have any defenses available.
There are different ways you can answer the lawsuit, and which you choose will depend on the allegations in the complaint and whether you agree with them. Type your responses in numbered paragraphs that correspond to the plaintiff's numbers, then reference the number in your statement.
After you've signed your answer, make at least two copies. You'll need one for your own records and one for the plaintiff – the court will keep the originals. Depending on the subject matter of the plaintiff's lawsuit, there may be other forms you need to file with your answer, such as declarations or affidavits.
For example, you might respond with a demurrer, which means that even if everything in the complaint is true, it's still not a legal reason for you to be held responsible for the plaintiff's damages or losses.
Keep in mind that just because you raise a defense in your answer, you aren't committing to arguing it later. Sometimes attorneys will raise defenses in an answer simply to preserve them in case they want to use them later. After you learn more about the case, you may decide that a defense you raised in the answer no longer applies, but raising it in the answer means you won't risk losing the ability to argue it later.
For example, if you are being sued because you owe someone money, you might want to find any written contracts or agreements you have. Check the amounts stated in the complaint against the amounts on your statements and make sure they match.
Do not include personal identifiers such as social security numbers on the documents filed with the court. Complete the forms, make a copy, and then redact the personal identifiers on the copies you will submit to the court.
If the plaintiff does not appear, the judge could dismiss the case. If the defendant does not appear, the judge could enter a default judgment and the defendant might have to pay all or part of the money claimed in the lawsuit. Appealing a Special Civil Case. Either party can appeal a decision in Special Civil court.
You are the defendant in a lawsuit. You must file an answer with the court. If you do not file an answer, a money judgment might be entered against you. You will receive a summons from the court with the date and time to come to the courthouse.
If the debtor does not object or the court does not allow the objection, the court will order a wage execution to be delivered to the debtor's employer by the special civil part officer. The employer will hold back a portion of the debtor's wages and will send this money directly to the officer.
If the defendant files an answer, the court will send you a notice with a date to appear in court. If the defendant does not file an answer, you might be entitled to a default judgment Contact the court if you cannot come to court on your assigned date . Your case might be dismissed if you do not come to court.
How to file an answer in the Special Civil Part. Defendants must file a written answer to the complaint within 35 days of the date shown on the summons. Each defendant must file a separate answer.
Note: You must be 18 to file a court case. If you are under 18 , your parent or guardian must filed the case for you. Complete the Special Civil Part complaint (Form A in the Kit). Complete the top part only of Special Civil Part Summons (Form B in the Kit).
After the complaint and answer have been filed, both sides will engage in ’Discovery’, where they are required to disclose information to each other. These disclosures are usually made by each party sending the other a 'Request for Production of Documents’ wherein they ask for specific documents that are relevant to the case.
If your answer is not formatted correctly, it may be rejected by the court clerk! Most civil answers in U.S. courts have the following format: A case caption that includes the name of the court, the names of the parties, and the title of the pleading.
After discovery is completed, the case will go to trial, where each party can plead their case to a judge or jury. They will examine witnesses and introduce evidence that supports each element of their claims or defenses.
If you do, a default judgment will likely be entered against you and you will be forced to pay the plaintiff all of the damages they alleged in their complaint, regardless of whether or not they are accurate. In your answer, you will either admit or deny the specific allegations made against you in the complaint.
A complaint is the initiating document that lays out a plaintiff's claims (called a 'petition' in Texas). It informs the defendant and the court how the plaintiff has been wronged by the defendant and how the plaintiff should be compensated. When a lawsuit has been filed against you, you will be formally served with a copy of the complaint as well as a 'summons', which makes you legally obligated to respond to the allegations in the complaint.
If your answer is not formatted correctly, it may be rejected by the court clerk! Most civil answers in U.S. courts have the following format: 1 A case caption that includes the name of the court, the names of the parties, and the title of the pleading. 2 An introductory sentence, wherein you state who you are and that you are hereby answering the plaintiff’s complaint. 3 Admissions and denials, wherein you admit or deny each allegation in the complaint. 4 A list of any affirmative defenses you plan on asserting. 5 Any counterclaims you are bringing against the plaintiff. 6 A ‘Prayer for Relief’ wherein you ask the court what, exactly, you want them to do about this case.
As you can see, that basics of filing an answer to a lawsuit are not complicated. Of course, it is impossible to cover all the details of a lawsuit answer in one article, but most responses in the United States will have the same basic format as described above. If you can understand these concepts, you will be able to competently defend yourself in a civil lawsuit.