You have been served legal papers stating that you have been sued. What happens next? You can legally be served in person by a process server or law enforcement officer. You can also legally be served by certified mail or the papers being taped to your front door. The papers will tell you when your response is due, the due date is calculated from the day you received the papers. The response is the paperwork filed with the clerk of the court denying the claims and/or including your claims against the party that sued you.
Whatever you do, DO NOT ignore lawsuit papers!!! If you do not respond in a timely manner, a default judgment may be taken against you. This means the party suing you wins by default because you failed to appear. They will get a judgment against you for whatever they ask for because you failed to defend yourself. Once a judgment is taken against you, your assets are up for grabs to satisfy the default judgment. This means bank accounts can be frozen, property sold, and/or law enforcement can show up at your door demanding money. Default judgments are extremely expensive to undo, if they can be undone at all.
I Have Responded To The Lawsuit, What Should I Expect?
After you have timely responded to the lawsuit, you will have timely notice of everything that goes on in the case; nothing will happen as a surprise. From here, there are many ways to resolve the issues without going to trial. You would be surprised to find that 90% of lawsuits are settled before trial. The options available depend on the facts surrounding your case.
Need Legal Help?
If you have been served with a lawsuit, give us a call at 713-715-7334 for a free consultation to discuss all your options. Our goal is to resolve your legal issue as fast and efficiently as possible. We have affordable pricing, so you do not have to face your lawsuit alone. We will explain everything and answer all your questions in 24 hours.
