Getting sued for a debt can feel scary. The papers from the court might look confusing or hard to understand. Don’t worry – you’re not alone. We’ll help you go through them step by step.
One of the papers you get will be called a Summons. This is the official notice that someone is suing you.
It tells you:
- Who is suing you,
- The amount they claim you owe, and
- Your court date.
We will help you find and understand the important parts of your summons.
Basic case and party information
At the top of the summons, you will usually see:
- The name of the court where the case was filed,
- The name of the plaintiff (the company that says you owe them money),
- The name of the defendant (that is you),
- The case number (this usually starts with the year the case was filed), and
- The amount of money they say you owe.
Here’s an example:
A lawsuit was filed in Clinton County. The case number is 2025SC196. The plaintiff is a company called Midland Funding, LLC. They are a debt buyer, which means they bought the debt from someone else. They say that Jane Marie Doe (the defendant) owes them $1,950.
Contact information for the other side
The Summons also gives the contact information for the plaintiff’s lawyer. This is the lawyer for the company that says you owe them money. This can be helpful if you want to talk about a settlement.
Here’s an example:
In this example, Larry P. Smith is the lawyer for Midland Funding. If you want to contact Midland Funding, you should contact their lawyer, Larry P. Smith.
Court hearing information
The Summons also tells you when your court hearing is scheduled. It will say if your hearing is in person at the courthouse or by video.
Sometimes, courts change the hearing date, so be sure to open and read all mail you get from the court. If you have questions about your hearing, you can call the court clerk’s office. Their phone number and website will be listed under the hearing information on the summons.