Expert Advice When You Need It Most
Posted almost 3 years ago. Applies to Texas, 2 helpful votes, 0 comments
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Contact a lawyerYour first step any time you are served with a lawsuit is to contact an attorney. Many attorneys offer free consultations and can assist you in understanding the lawsuit. 2
Prepare an AnswerAn answer puts the court on notice that you are participating in the lawsuit and requires that you receive notifications of all proceedings in the lawsuit. The notice will be sent to the address you provide in the answer, so make sure it is up to date. An answer can be simply a hand written document that says you deny everything in the lawsuit served upon you. It must contain the information at the top of the document called the "Style" of the case. This includes the court and "cause number" or "case number". Be sure to add your current address and sign the document. 3
File the answerThe answer you have created must be filed with the court that the lawsuit is out of. Most family law cases are out of a district court and will contain a number like "254th" or "303rd". The answer must be filed in that court with the clerk. Take a few copies and the clerk will stamp the copies showing they were filed. The answer must be filed by 10:00 a.m. on Monday following 20 days from the day you were served. Write down the date you were served, count out 20 days, and your answer is due on the following Monday at 10:00 a.m. Weekends are included. If the 20th day is a Monday, it goes to the next Monday. If the Monday is a holiday, then it is due on the next day (Tuesday) at 10:00 a.m. 4
Provide copy to other sideTake one of the copies of your answer that was stamped by the clerk and deliver it to the other party (if they are not represented by an attorney) or to their attorney named in the back of the document you were served with. Hand delivery is okay but fax is better since you will get a fax confirmation that you sent it. Additional ResourcesYou can follow up on your lawsuit in many courts by finding the court on the internet and checking their online dockets of each case. Related Questions3 Attorney answers: 
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