Somebody has sued me and I have received a Summons, but I don’t know what to do with it.

A Summons is a notice from a Court that you have been sued, and that you have a limited period of time to file an appropriate legal response to the law suit papers.  All too many times, I have seen situations where people have ignored Summonses and then several months later had to deal with things like foreclosure of a judgment lien on a home, a levy of their vehicle, garnishment of bank accounts and wages, etc.  Generally, if a person or organization has taken the time and expended the money to file a lawsuit against you, they are serious about trying to collect something.  If you ignore the suit, the other side ordinarily will coast to an easy “win” against you by default.  Often, once a default judgment is awarded to the other side because you have not responded, it is too late for you to contest the underlying obligation! 

Any time you receive a summons, you ought to talk quickly to an attorney so that you understand your rights, the applicable time limits, what legal expectations you should have, etc.   Doing nothing is generally a very big mistake!