Legal Question in Family Law in North Carolina

You could not have been "served" with a separation agreement. A separation agreement is not a legal document like a pleading. It is a contract between the divorcing people indicating how they wish to divide their property, or provide for support/custody of any children.

Do you mean you were served with either a complaint in divorce or a complaint for a legal separation? In that case, you have 30 days to answer. However, this is not something you should be doing on your own. You need to speak with a family law attorney and pay him/her to review the document and what is requested.