Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Re: Filing a response to summons

You are never required to have a professional do

your legal work. However, that's like saying you

are never required to have a plumber fix your leaking

toilet or a mechanic fix your car. If you know how to do

it yourself, great. If not, then you can really

screw things up by trying to do it yourself. If you

insist, however, you may go the clerk of the Court and pick

up a form called an "Answer." It is a form that

you can fill out easily by checking boxes and

filling in blanks. It works for most cases and what

you need to put on it is usually obvious.

Re: Filing a response to summons

Yes, you have to file a proper answer with the court within 30 days. I would recommend hiring an attorney to prepare the answer for you so that you can ensure that a proper answer will be filed. If you do it yourself and it is not done properly the person who sued you can file for a default and automatically win. It is cheaper in the long run to hire an attorney from the start than trying to do it yourself and ending up hiring an attorney to defend a default. Even if you win the default you would have to file a proper answer anyway. If you need help preparing and filing an answer I can help. I can be reached toll free at 877-546-9918. The consultation is free. If you have limited funds I would be willing to work with you. I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

John Hayes, Esq.

Re: Filing a response to summons

If you are So. Cal. I might be able to help you. I do a lot of these at a pretty low cost. If you want to do it yourself you can download the form you need from here:

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/