Legal
What to do when a court summons arrives
The deadline on the document is the part that matters most, and ignoring it is what turns a disputable claim into a judgment.
A summons states that a case has been filed and sets a period in which to respond. That period is counted in days and is short. Missing it generally allows the other side to ask for a default judgment, which can be entered without the merits ever being considered.
Responding does not mean agreeing or settling. A written answer filed with the court puts the claim in dispute and preserves every defence, including ones about whether the debt is owed at all and whether the claim was brought in time.
Many courts publish answer forms and instructions for people without a lawyer, and court self-help centres will assist with completing them even where they cannot advise on strategy. Legal aid organisations frequently prioritise matters with an imminent deadline.
Where a default judgment has already been entered, there is usually a process to ask the court to set it aside, with its own time limit. Acting quickly matters considerably more than acting perfectly.
What to do next. Note the response deadline on the summons, then contact your court's self-help centre or a legal aid office immediately.
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