Maine Summons in a Civil Action is a court-issued document that is served by a plaintiff (the party filing the lawsuit) to a defendant (the party being sued) to inform them of a lawsuit. It is a formal notice from the court system that a legal action has been filed against them and that they must respond formally to the court. The summons must include the court’s name, the parties’ names, the case number, and the relief sought. The types of Maine Summons in a Civil Action are summons to appear, summons and complaint, summons and declaration, and summons by publication. Summons to appear informs the defendant of the court hearing date, summons and complaint includes a copy of the complaint and the summons, summons and declaration includes a copy of the declaration and the summons, and summons by publication is used when the defendant's address is unknown.