This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.
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If you have been served with a summons and legal complaint, you are being sued. [1] X Research source This means you are a defendant in a civil case that has been filed by a person or business entity called the ‘plaintiff.' You have a limited amount of time to respond to the complaint. Failure to timely respond could result in a default judgment being entered against you, in which case you would forfeit your right to respond and the person who sued you would prevail. Being sued is a serious matter and requires immediate action. Follow these steps to properly respond to a legal complaint.