A Florida Summons is a legal document issued by a court instructing an individual to appear in court or respond to a lawsuit. It is also known as a writ of summons or a citation. There are two types of Florida Summons: a regular summons and a special summons. A regular summons is issued when a defendant is being sued in a civil case and must appear in court to respond to the lawsuit. A special summons is issued when a defendant is being sued in a criminal case and must answer the charges. Both types of summons must be served on the defendant by a court-appointed individual or process server. The summons will state the date and time of the hearing, the name of the court, and the name of the person being served. Failure to respond to a summons can result in a default judgment, arrest, or other legal action.