George Simons | March 22, 2023
Summary: Deadlines to file an Answer in court range from 14-35 days. Use our deadline calculator to determine your deadline. If you've been sued for a debt, use SoloSuit to respond in just 15 minutes and win your case.
Getting served with a debt collection lawsuit is typically a stress and anxiety-inducing event for many people. Your mind may be inundated with questions and concerns. One of the first questions you may be asking yourself is, “what is the deadline to respond to the debt collector's Complaint?” This page provides valuable information concerning the deadlines in each of the 50 states to file your Answer to a debt collector's Complaint.
You can use our deadline calculator to determine your deadline.
This calculator is for educational purposes only. It does not factor in weekends or holidays, so your actual deadline may be some days later.
SoloSuit can help file an Answer in all 50 states.
Generally, most courts give the defendant 20-30 days to respond to Summons for debt collection, but the deadline varies. Below is an overview of the deadline to file an Answer in each of the 50 states.
As you will see, there is no uniform response time. This list does not document the nuances in each state such as certain case types or other factors. Keep in mind that laws are constantly changing, so make sure to double check your Summons document for your deadline.
Deadlines to Respond to Debt Lawsuit in all 50 State |
|||
State |
Days |
Source | |
Alabama |
14 - Small claims cases |
||
Alaska |
20 |
||
Arizona |
20 - Service of Summons happened in Arizona |
||
Arkansas |
30 |
||
California |
30 (including weekends and court holidays) |
||
Colorado |
21 |
||
Connecticut |
30 |
||
Delaware |
20 |
||
District of Columbia |
21 |
||
Florida |
20 |
||
Georgia |
30 |
||
Hawaii |
20 |
||
Idaho |
20 |
||
Illinois |
30 |
||
Indiana |
20 |
||
Iowa |
20 |
||
Kansas |
21 |
||
Kentucky |
20 |
||
Louisiana |
15 |
||
Maine |
20 |
||
Maryland |
30 |
||
Massachusetts |
20 |
||
Michigan |
21 |
||
Minnesota |
20 |
||
Mississippi |
30 |
||
Missouri |
30 |
||
Montana |
21 |
||
Nebraska |
30 |
||
Nevada |
20 |
||
New Hampshire |
30 |
||
New Jersey |
35 |
||
New Mexico |
30 |
||
New York |
20 |
||
North Carolina |
30 |
||
North Dakota |
20 - Small claims cases |
North Dakota Courts District; North Dakota Courts Small Claims | |
Ohio |
28 |
||
Oklahoma |
20 |
||
Oregon |
30 |
||
Pennsylvania |
20 |
||
Rhode Island |
20 |
||
South Carolina |
30 |
||
South Dakota |
30 |
||
Tennessee |
21 |
||
Texas |
14 - Justice Court cases |
||
Utah |
21 |
||
Vermont |
21 - Regular civil cases |
||
Virginia |
21 |
||
West Virginia |
20 - Self-represented defendants |
||
Wisconsin |
20 |
||
Wyoming |
20 - Service of Summons happened in Wyoming |
||
|
Here's a map depicting the table above, showing the time frame you have to respond to a debt collection lawsuit before losing by default. The darker the color, the quicker you need to respond.
If you fail to file your Answer within the relevant filing deadline, the debt collector will likely file a motion with the court asking it to enter a “default judgment” against you. Once a default judgment is entered, the debt collector is empowered to garnish your wages, seize your property, and even access the funds in your bank accounts. As you can see, this is not what you want to have happen when being pursued by a debt collector. You should take affirmative steps to respond to the Complaint.
SoloSuit makes it easy to avoid a default judgment.
SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.
How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.
"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James
You can ask your questions on the SoloSuit forum and the community will help you out. Whether you need help now or are just looking for support, we're here for you.
>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance
Here are some key points on what you need to do if you are served with a debt collection lawsuit:
Best of Luck!
Here's a list of guides for other states.
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