A process server may hand it to you, or it may arrive by certified mail. But however it gets to you, a summons notifying you that you’ve been sued is bound to raise your blood pressure. Of course, being sued is never pleasant, but it’s often more of a nuisance than a catastrophe. And by knowing the rules, you can greatly improve your chances of winning.
As a first step, check the summons to see how long you have to respond. Typically, you’ll have 21 days or so to file an answer. That’s a key deadline: If you miss it, the
