How do you respond to a complaint against you?
William Jenkins
Updated on January 24, 2026
You can file an answer to respond to the plaintiff’s Complaint. An answer is a formal statement, in writing, of your defense to the lawsuit. You can say that what the plaintiff claims is not true. Or you can say it is true but give more information and reasons to defend your actions or explain the situation.
How do you respond to being served?
Responding to the lawsuit
- You can file an answer or a general denial. Filing an answer.
- You can file a motion In certain situations, you can respond to the lawsuit by filing a motion (a request) that usually tells the court that the plaintiff made a mistake in the lawsuit.
- Talk to a lawyer!
Is a complaint the same as a lawsuit?
By definition, lawsuit refers to the legal process (that is, the court case) by which a court of law makes a decision on an alleged wrong (as exhibited in the statement “a complex lawsuit that may take years to resolve”), whereas complaint refers to the initial document, or pleading, submitted by a plaintiff against a …
What should you not do when handling a complaint?
There are also many things that should be avoided when dealing with a complaining customer, including: Starting off on the wrong foot by failing to empathize with the customer’s perception of the situation, service, or process that is at the heart of the complaint.
What does it mean to have a complaint filed against you?
A complaint is the first document filed in court to initiate a lawsuit. It is a formal legal document which typically lists the plaintiff’s view of the facts and the legal reasons why the plaintiff believes they have been harmed by the defendant.
What to do if you are sued for credit card debt?
What to Do if You Owe the Debt When you’re sued, you’ll be served with a copy of the complaint and a court summons that tells you how you can file a response in court and the date of your court hearing. You have roughly three or four weeks to respond, which means you need to act quickly.
What happens if I don’t respond to a complaint?
Click to visit Lawyers and Legal Help. If you do not file a written response within the required time, the “plaintiff” (the party suing you) can ask the court for a default judgment against you for everything she asked for in her complaint.
What happens when you get served papers for debt?
One thing that happens when you get served papers for debt is that the burden of proof rests heavily with the plaintiff. That means the person suing you has to prove: That you are responsible for the debt; That they have the right to sue you; That you owe a specific amount
Is it possible to dismiss a debt collection lawsuit?
Because accounts often change hands multiple times before a lawsuit occurs, it’s not uncommon for this type of documentation to be impossible for creditors to drum up in a timely manner. That can result in a dismissal of the lawsuit or an agreement for a settlement at a much lower total.
