An Answer is designed to help you in responding to a debt collection claim. The following resource can be used to answer a debt collection lawsuit in Justice Court.
In Texas, you have 14-20 days to answer, depending on the court. Even if you think you missed the deadline, it is still a good idea to file an answer if your case has not yet had a hearing.
In county/district court, the answer is due at 10 a.m. on the Monday following 20 days from when you were served.
In JP/Justice Court, the answer is due by the end of the 14th day after you were served. If the 14th day is a Saturday, Sunday, or court-observed holiday, your answer is due by the end of the first day following the 14th day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or court-observed holiday.
Turn in your completed answer form at the Courthouse where the Petition was filed and send a copy of the completed form to the Plaintiff or the Plaintiff's attorney.
If you do not file an Answer by the deadline, the Plaintiff can ask the court to enter a default judgment against you, which means you lose automatically.
If you have access to a lawyer, you should consider talking to your lawyer before filling out this form. You may accidentally give up important legal rights if you file this form with the Court without first consulting with a lawyer. For help finding a lawyer, call your local law referral service. You may also be able to talk to a lawyer for free at a legal advice clinic. For help finding a free legal advice clinic go to www.TexasLawHelp.org.