What happens when a defendant fails to respond to a lawsuit?

When a defendant is served with a Summons and Complaint, the defendant has a limited amount of time (typically 30 days) in which to respond to the lawsuit. If a defendant fails to respond, the plaintiff may ask the court to enter a “default judgment” against the defendant.

What happens if you fail to respond to a summons?

Failure to file a Timely Answer to Summon & Complaint may result in Default Judgment against you. A defendant is required to respond to a complaint that has been filed by the plaintiff (the person suing) within the time period set by law, usually 20 to 30 days.

How long does it take to file a response to a complaint?

Typically, you have twenty calendar days from when you received the summons and complaint (not counting the day of service) to file a response with the court. But that time might be shorter in some cases.

Can a plaintiff ask for a default judgment?

If the defendant fails to file a timely answer, the plaintiff can ask the court to enter a default judgment. If the plaintiff presents evidence supporting the claims contained in the complaint, the court can render a default judgment against the defendant.

What happens if a defendant fails to file a timely answer?

What happens if you fail to respond to a Florida lawsuit?

In Florida, the failure to respond to a lawsuit within a specified time period, sometimes as little as 20 days, can result in a Default being entered against you. That means that if you fail to respond, the allegations in the Complaint (the lawsuit) may be taken as true.

What happens if you file a request for default and the answer is not filed?

It is only if you filed a Request for Default and had default entered that the Court would disregard the answer. The burden is on you to alert the Court that the answer had not been timely filed. If you did so, then the Court does not have jurisdiction to accept the answer unless the default is set aside. — http://richarddwyer.com