Being served with a family law petition can be uncomfortable and scary. You may feel intimidated and conflicted. What are you supposed to do now? Are you on your own, or is there someone you can reach out to for help? Up ahead, we’ll outline what you should do when you are served with papers. We understand how confusing this experience can be. Still, it’s crucial to your case to understand how you should be responding to a petition.Â
How to Respond After Being Served
One of the most important things to know about being served is that you only have a certain number of days to file your response, or the court can take your default. If the latter happens, the case will be decided just as the other party wants it to be determined. That’s equivalent to allowing them everything they’re asking for.
How much time do you have to respond? This is dependent on how you are served. You may have anywhere from 30 to 45 or even 65 days to file your response. Check the papers to know the exact date you need to respond by.
Sadly, we’ve had clients come to us late looking for help after being served. It’s happened that they did not know about the deadline, or sometimes, they chose to ignore it. Either way, the results were dismal. They soon noticed that their wages were being garnished, and they had little recourse to rectify the situation.
Understanding Your Options
Responding to being served can be confusing, and it’s important to note that every case is different, which is why speaking with an attorney can be helpful. Your first goal is to respond by the date labelled on the papers.
Next, you can file a response with the court. If you feel the summons includes untrue or skewed things, you’ll then have a chance to defend yourself.
You may also choose to settle the matter out of court by speaking directly with the other party. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can discuss the issue and have the case be rectified. You’ll have to continue to respect the paperwork response date until the matter is officially settled.
How to Get Assistance After Being Served
Suppose you’ve been served family legal papers for a divorce, child custody case, or another issue. In that case, the best way to handle the situation is to sit down with a family law attorney who has experience working in this field.
Remember to contact an attorney as soon as possible after being served. With busy schedules, lawyers can sometimes not meet right away, and you don’t want to risk missing the response deadline.
At Mohajer Law Firm, we offer free initial consultations for clients like you. If you’ve been served papers and aren’t sure what to do next, feel free to give our office a call or contact us online.
We’d be happy to sit down with you to review the petition and present you with your best legal options.
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