When you receive legal or court papers—known as being served, or served with process—it is important to understand the nature of the documents and your obligation to file a written response to them—usually within 20-30 days, but sometimes within a shorter period of time, depending on the type of legal relief sought by the party who filed the documents (injunctive relief, etc.).

If you do not file a written response to a lawsuit, petition, or motion asking a court (or government entity or arbitrator) to take some action against you, you will be admitting the claims or allegations against you, and the court will often give the party seeking money or other assets from you everything they are asking for—with no input from you or further opportunity for you to contest the claims. If you do not respond to such a request, you are said to be in default, and the court will enter a default judgment against you, making you legally liable for the money awarded, and obligated to comply with other changes made by the court without your input, such as changes in child custody or child support.

In North Carolina, when an individual is served with legal or court papers, it is crucial to promptly understand the documents and the necessity to file a written response. The timeframe to respond typically ranges from 20 to 30 days, but it can be shorter for certain types of legal actions, such as those seeking injunctive relief. Failure to file a written response to a lawsuit, petition, or motion can result in a default judgment. This means the court may grant the plaintiff's requests, which could include monetary awards or other orders, such as changes in child custody or support, without any defense or input from the defendant. It is essential to act quickly upon being served to avoid such default judgments and to preserve the right to contest the claims made in the legal action.