Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Washington

Re: Answering a summons notice for a lawsuit

You must file a Notice of Appearance within 20 days of service of the Summons/complaint to prevent a default judgment being entered without notice to you. While most attorney prepared NOA's are similar, the keys are that it has your contact info, court name & case number, and names of the parties. This must be served on attorney for plaintiff, and filed with the court. This won't stop a default judgment, but will entitle you to notice before it is entered. If you disput the lawsuit's merits, then you need to prepare an Answer ... to the complaint. Basically same "caption" as the Notice of Appearance (court name, case number, parties, etc...) but needs to dispute whatever the claim is in the Complaint. If you're unsure of yourself, and dispute the debt, then you should consult with an attorney.