Glossary
Summons
An official court document that notifies a defendant they're being sued, identifies the court, and tells them how long they have to respond. The summons is served on the defendant along with the complaint.
When you're served with a lawsuit, the summons is the formal piece that says: "You're being sued. Here's where. Here's when you have to respond. If you don't respond, the plaintiff will get a default judgment."
The summons isn't optional or polite: it's a court command. Ignoring it doesn't make the case go away; it just lets the plaintiff win automatically. If you've been served, the smart move is to read both the summons and the complaint carefully and figure out your response deadline immediately.