Stage guide

Sued: the envelope that decides everything

Here is the statistic this page exists to fight: in study after study, more than 70% of debt-collection lawsuits end in default judgment — not because the collector proved anything, but because the person sued never answered. Answering is the whole game, and it runs on a clock set by your state.

Stage 1First letterThe 30-day window opens
Stage 2Calls & contactKnow the call rules
Stage 3The decision pointWeigh any offer with real math
Stage 4SuedYour answer deadline is running
Stage 5JudgmentThrow it out? Protect what's yours? Both have deadlines
Stage 6GarnishmentClaim what is protected
Stage 7Time-barred tailOld debt, new traps

Your deadline is your state's, not a national number

Depending on the state and how you were served, the window is commonly 15 to 35 days — Florida 20, California 30, New York 20 if handed to you and 30 if left or mailed, Texas by 10 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days. Every state page here prints the rule and its citation; the free checker counts your exact date from the day you were served.

What an Answer is

A short filed document that responds to the complaint — admitting, denying, or stating you lack knowledge, paragraph by paragraph — and raises your defenses: limitations (a time-barred debt), wrong amount, wrong person, no proof of ownership. Debt buyers in particular must prove they own the account; an Answer is what forces them to. In one California study, defendants who responded were 55% more likely to see the case dismissed.

Who helps — honestly

We do not file Answers, and a kit should not pretend to. SoloSuit generates and files one for $67 (standard) or $247 with attorney review — the right tool for many people. Court self-help centers and legal aid (LawHelp.org) offer free forms in many states. A consumer attorney may take it if the collector's own violations are strong. Choose the route; just do not let the deadline pass in silence.

Included in the $39 DebtDecoded Kit

  • The letter builder — answer a few questions and it writes your letters: the one that makes them prove the debt is yours, and the one that orders them to stop calling. Wording follows the federal rulebook (Regulation F). Ready to print and mail
  • The old-debt trap worksheet — checks your dates against your state's restart rule before you pay or sign anything, so one small payment can't quietly restart the clock on an old debt (the trap lawyers call 'revival')
  • The call log — counts their calls against the legal line: more than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt counts as harassment (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2))
  • The 'what they can't take' pack — what a court judgment can and cannot take in your state, including the rule that shields two months of federal benefits sitting in your bank account (31 CFR Part 212)
  • The offer-math worksheet — what a 'deal' really costs once fees and the tax on the written-off part are counted (that tax shows up on Form 1099-C)
  • The complaint walkthrough and the honest directory — who to call instead when a free or better route fits you

One payment. Every stage of the road, and the deadline tables for all 50 states — every number with its law cited. No account, no subscription — and the free checker above stays free whether you buy or not.

Get the Kit — $39

DebtDecoded is education, not a law firm. If the checker points you to a free route — legal aid, a lawyer who fights debt collectors, a nonprofit counselor — take it. We would rather lose the sale than sell you the wrong tool.

Quick answers

I don't owe it / it's not mine. Do I still have to answer?

Yes — that is what the Answer is for. A court cannot know the debt is wrong unless you file the denial. Ignoring a suit over a debt that is not yours produces a judgment that very much is yours.

The debt is old. Can they still sue?

They can file; limitations is your defense, and suing on a debt they know is time-barred violates Regulation F §1006.26(b). Raise it in the Answer — defenses not raised can be waived.

Run the free checker