How to Respond to a Lawsuit?

Facing a lawsuit can be a very stressful experience. First of all, don’t just ignore the lawsuit. Answering the lawsuit is the first and most important step in the lawsuit. If you do not provide a timely response, the person who filed the lawsuit against you can win the case.

By entering an answer to the lawsuit, you begin to defend yourself and are telling the court that you are rebutting the allegations against you. This forces the plaintiff to prove his case and gives the defendant his “day in court.” Going to trial for a personal or class action lawsuit without legal help and preparation is risky. The most recommended steps to respond to a claim are the following:

 Consult a Claims Attorney

An attorney specialized in defending against the type of claim served on you is your best protection tool.

• Hire an attorney who knows the procedures related to the type of claim you are facing.
• Your attorney can help you present persuasive arguments for your defense in front of the judge or jury.
• An attorney will also settle the case out of court.

Determine When to Give the Answer

Responses to a lawsuit are usually given within a specified time. It is important to check the date and how long you have left to do it. The first page of the summons includes the last deadline for filing a response. If you are not familiar with these documents, an attorney can give you legal advice:

• Determining if you must respond within twenty or thirty days, which is normal. But some lawsuit cases have very short deadlines; for example, there are eviction lawsuits that have a period of three or five days to respond.
• Calling the clerk of court for more information about the deadline. It is important not to wait until the last minute to contact an attorney, as it takes time to prepare an appropriate response in the given time.

Decide What Type of Response to Submit

An answer is a written document in which the defendant admits or denies the charges in the plaintiff’s petition and sets out the reasons why the defendant is not responsible. Any information contained in the complaint that is not rejected in an answer is considered to be true by the court. There are many strategies for responding to a lawsuit in court. An experienced claims defense attorney will find the best one for your case based on the specific nature of the claim.…