If you want to file a motion, the process is generally something like this: You write your motion. You file your motion with the court clerk. The court clerk inserts the date and time your motion will be heard by the judge. You “serve” (mail) your motion to the other side.
(c) An answer to the claim shall be filed with the court or orally presented to the judge or clerk of the court within 30 days after service of the statement of claim on the defendant to avoid a default.
Your answer should include the court name, case name, case number, and your affirmative defenses. Print three copies of your answer. File one with the clerk's office and mail (or “serve”) one to the plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney. The plaintiff is the debt collector, creditor, or law firm suing you.
claim or counterclaim shall not require an answer, unless one is required by order of the court, and shall automatically stand denied.
Filing an answer After receiving the summons, the defendant should respond to the plaintiff's claims. The response is called the answer. The answer is a legal document that is filed with the clerk of the court. In it, the defendant admits or denies the allegations made in the complaint.
Proof of service is a document that functions like a legal “receipt” confirming the delivery of documents from one party to another in a legal matter. It is a written version of a sworn statement attesting to the completion of service of process.
If proof of service of the summons has not been filed within 60 days of the complaint's filing, the court may dismiss the action without prejudice.
The Magistrate Court is also referred to as the small claims court. You can file a claim for which you are seeking $15,000.00 or less. If your claim exceeds $15,000.00, then the Magistrate Court does not have jurisdiction or the legal authority to hear your case and it must be filed in another court.
Proof of service may be made by certificate of an attorney or of his or her employee, by written admission, by affidavit, or by other proof satisfactory to the court. Failure to make proof of service shall not affect the validity of service.
The plaintiff must file a sworn statement with the clerk of the appropriate magistrate court, describing the charges made by the plaintiff against the defendant. This statement is called a statement of claim, or a claim.