Washington Summons Served by Mail refers to the process of providing legal notification of a court case to a Defendant, primarily through mail. Summonses are issued by the court when a Plaintiff files a lawsuit against a Defendant and must be responded to in order for the Defendant to begin filing paperwork and presenting a defense. There are two primary types of Washington Summons Served by Mail: regular mail and certified mail. Regular mail summonses require the Plaintiff to mail the documents to the Defendant, either directly or through an attorney, and wait for the Defendant to receive and respond to the paperwork. Certified mail summonses require the Plaintiff to mail the documents via certified mail, which provides a tracking number to ensure delivery was made and received. When the Defendant receives the Summons, they must sign the paperwork and return it to the court. Failure to respond to the Summons may lead to a default judgment, which would require the Defendant to pay the damages or other relief requested by the Plaintiff.