How to Respond to a Lawsuit in a New Jersey Court

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Here are the deadlines for answering a debt collection summons in New Jersey:

35 days for the Law Division (Claims above $15,000)
35 days for the Law Division, Special Civil Part (Claims between $3,000-$15,000)
35 days for the Small Claims Court (Claims between $1-$3,000)
What do these deadlines all have in common? They're 35 days. No matter which division your case is “venued” in, when you get sued for a debt in New Jersey, you only have 35 days to respond or you automatically lose your case through a process called “default” judgment. Debt collectors are hoping you will forget to respond or not know how to respond; don't give them the satisfaction!

As we said, the standard amount of time is the same, whether your case is for $1 or more than $15,000, and whether you case is given an “L” for Law Division, “DC” for Special Civil Part, or “SC” for Small Claims. Occasionally, and worth keeping in mind, is that if your case is in the Law Division with an “L” assigned to it, you may be able to request an extension of time from the Courts. First, you have to ask your adversary, and if you ask nicely, the debt collector will probably grant the extension. Every little bit of time can provide you additional peace of mind as you prepare your response.