What Happens if You Don’t Respond to a Civil Summons in Wisconsin?

What Legal Documents Should You Expect if You Are Served with a Lawsuit?

Has a stranger showed up at your place of employment or home, handed over an assortment of papers, and told you that you’ve been served? Try not to panic. While no one is ever truly ready to deal with the unfortunate reality of being sued, this doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Take some time, read the papers, understand the lawsuit against you, and get some idea of what’s happening. The claims against you may be false and easily disproven, or more complex, but either way, you may need dedicated legal counsel to defend your name and rights. Before you contact the other side of the lawsuit about the paper in your possession, contact an experienced civil litigation attorney in Wisconsin to review and evaluate your legal situation.

Included in the civil lawsuit paperwork you’ve been given should be a document known as a summons and a document that is a complaint or a petition.

A civil summons accompanies all complaints and petitions filed in Wisconsin. This legal document informs the recipient that they are being summoned into a court of law. There will be a deadline for filing a written response or disputing the claims made against you. Every summons document includes much information and must be carefully reviewed. The summons documents will inform you that you are being sued, who is suing you, and where the lawsuit will transpire in court. The summons should also tell you how long you have to make a reply.

Depending on the particulars of the lawsuit, you may also receive either a complaint or a petition. Petitions are often used for family law matters such as divorce cases. Complaints, meanwhile, have a plaintiff and a defendant. Regardless of whether you received a petition or a complaint, the documents accomplish the same task by informing the court that the plaintiff has officially filed a legal claim and wants something from the courts. For example, the plaintiff may want money, and they are requesting that the court order the other party to do something so that they may obtain legal relief.

When put together, these legal documents are typically referred to as pleadings, as they present an opportunity for the plaintiffs to plead for relief.

Are You Legally Required to Respond to a Civil Lawsuit in Wisconsin?

Are you allowed to ignore lawsuits made against you? Do you have to respond?

You must respond to a lawsuit against you unless you want a judgment entered against you. You cannot ignore official court orders and expect everything to be okay.

Additionally, if you choose to ignore the summons and then later change your mind and show up in a courtroom anyway, the judge overseeing your case will not likely be happy with you.

The Wisconsin legal system must be respected. Failure to do so may result in dire consequences.

What if You Receive a Summons and Complaint from a Debt Collector or Creditor?

Are you being sued for unpaid debt? Debt collectors and creditors can file lawsuits against debtors to get back the money they are owed. You will know if you are being sued by debt creditors or a debt collection agency if you’ve been served a court summons and a complaint about your debts.

If you receive a court summons and complaint regarding unpaid debts, you must carefully review all the court papers and then begin prepping your answer. Answering an official complaint means preparing a written response and filing it with the appropriate courts within the allotted time window. If you are worried about how to respond, we encourage you to contact our Wisconsin law firm to speak with our legal team.

What Happens if You Ignore a Civil Summons?

To put it simply, you need to respond to a lawsuit. A civil summons will provide a deadline by which you have to respond to the lawsuit. If you do not file an answer or response before the time runs out, the other side will request that the courts enter a default judgment against you.

Getting a default judgment handed down against you can create many long-lasting legal issues. If you fail to get the default judgment set aside, you will be subject to pay for the legal relief that the other side asked for. Depending on the lawsuit, that could be valuable property or personal finances. It’s possible to ask a judge to set the default judgment aside, but you must provide good reason.

Remember, a summons is more than just a piece of paper; it’s a call to legal action. Ignoring it could result in a series of unfortunate events and far-reaching repercussions. Your case could get derailed before it ever begins.

Depending on each case, ignoring summons or missing court appearances may also result in the issuance of warrants for your arrest. Beyond the legal consequences, ignoring summons and courtroom appearances can damage your image, trust, and credibility in the eyes of others.

How Should You Respond to Civil Summons?

After reading the papers you’ve been served with, the first thing you should do is to consider contacting attorneys experienced in the practice areas of your case. Civil litigation can be costly and difficult, especially on your own. You want experienced legal representation in your corner throughout the legal process.

The civil summons paper will inform you when you must respond to the lawsuit. You must prepare an answer or response to the lawsuit and consider any potential counterclaims or defenses you could raise in court. If you have evidence that exonerates you or supports your counterclaims, gather that evidence and get it organized as well.

Once you and your lawyers have written your response to the lawsuit, you must file that response by the provided deadline. Be sure to keep a copy of file-stamped documents for your official records.

Schedule an In-Depth Case Evaluation with Our Wisconsin Legal Team Today

If another party or entity has sued you, you must take this action seriously. Do not disregard civil summons, complaints, or any other lawsuit documents. If you choose to ignore a civil summons, you may face harsh consequences in a court of law and may have to pay the money that is being demanded of you anyway.

Remember, you have limited time to file a response. Do not delay contacting experienced attorneys to discuss your case in more detail. Our law firm has extensive experience representing civil litigation cases, and we are proud to represent your legal rights in these matters.

To learn more about our legal services, please get in touch with us to schedule your initial consultation today. You can reach us at 608-975-3042.