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Sued over $35,000

Served with a lawsuit over $35,000 in California? Here's how to answer it in time

If you don't file anything within 30 days, the court can enter a default judgment, meaning you automatically lose without ever getting to tell your side. SueEasy helps you get your answer prepared and filed on time, before it turns into a bank levy or a lien on your home, plans starting at $199.

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What's at stake

What happens if you don't respond in time

30 days, then a default judgment

You have 30 calendar days from the day you're served. Miss it, and the court can enter a "default judgment," meaning you lose without ever telling your side.

It keeps growing

A judgment collects 10% interest every year for up to 10 years, and can be renewed after that. The longer it sits, the more it costs you.

It reaches your paycheck and home

They can garnish up to 20% of your wages, levy your bank account, or place a lien on property you own, blocking a future sale or refinance.

What filing on time actually does

Filing your answer on time stops the default judgment. It also buys you a few months, until the case moves into discovery, that most people use to settle or find a lawyer. One thing to know: this service prepares and files your answer, it doesn't represent you in court, so it won't cover motions, depositions, or a trial.

Respond to a lawsuit

Pricing

How much it costs to answer a lawsuit like this

Prepare

$0

Start free, see everything before you pay

  • Full guided intake
  • Deadline and statute of limitations check
  • Review of whether they can prove ownership
  • Draft answer preview
Respond to a lawsuit
Priced by case size

Prepare and file

$199-$1,299

Priced by how much the lawsuit is asking for

  • Amount claimed under $12,500: $199
  • Amount claimed $12,500-$35,000: $699
  • Amount claimed over $35,000: $1,299
  • Complete answer, ready to file and serve
Respond to a lawsuit
Add-on

Add attorney review

+$1,000-$1,500

Extra confidence, priced by case size

  • Everything in Prepare and file
  • Licensed CA attorney review
  • Revisions before filing
  • Attorney files on your behalf
Add an attorney

This covers preparing and filing your answer, it's not legal representation unless you add attorney review, and we don't appear in court on your behalf.

How it works

How to answer a large California lawsuit before your deadline

Respond to a lawsuit

Tell us what's going on

A few quick questions: who's suing you, how you were served, and what the case is about. Then we pin down exactly how much time you have left, since the 30-day countdown trips people up more than you'd think.

  • 30 calendar days from the day you're personally served, starting the day after
  • Served indirectly, papers left with someone else and mailed? Add 10 more days
  • Close to the deadline? A short extension from the other side's lawyer, in writing, is often possible
  • Already past it? Check the court file for a default first. If one's entered, you can usually still ask to undo it within six months

We figure out your best move

An answer isn't always the smartest first move. A "demurrer" argues the complaint doesn't hold up legally, even if everything in it were true. A "motion to quash" argues you weren't served properly, or the court doesn't have authority over you. All three share the same 30-day deadline, and picking the wrong one can quietly give up an argument you didn't mean to lose. We help you find the one that fits.

You file before the deadline

We prepare the response that fits your facts, filed and served correctly, so a default doesn't happen. That buys you the weeks before discovery starts, time to find a lawyer or work out a settlement if it's worth fighting.

Before you file

Should you file an answer, or is there a better option

Before spending time or money on a response, it's worth stepping back and asking a few honest questions. Filing the wrong thing, or filing when you didn't need to, can cost you an argument you didn't have to give up.

Worth checking before you file anything

  • Were you actually served the right way? A service mistake can be its own defense
  • Would bankruptcy wipe out this debt faster and for less than fighting the case?
  • Do you have savings, property, or income a judgment could actually reach?
  • Could your insurance, or a business policy, end up covering this claim?

What filing on time gets you, either way

  • Stops the automatic default judgment for the full amount they're asking for
  • Keeps defenses alive that you'd otherwise lose the right to raise
  • Buys you time before discovery to find a lawyer or work out a deal
  • Keeps the door open to settle, most plaintiffs would rather settle too
Respond to a lawsuit

If you lose

What a judgment against you actually looks like

It grows every year

The court can order you to pay the full amount claimed. That amount then adds 10% interest a year, for up to 10 years, and can be renewed.

They can take money directly

Up to 20% of your paycheck, or straight from your bank account. Social Security and most public benefits are automatically protected.

It can attach to your home

They can put a lien on any property you own in the county. That stays in place, blocking a sale or refinance, until it's paid off.

FAQs

Sued for over $35,000 in California, your questions answered

How long do I have to respond to a California lawsuit over $35,000?
Thirty calendar days from personal service, starting the day after. Substituted service adds 10 days, and service by publication has its own rules. If you're close to the deadline, an extension is often available by stipulation with opposing counsel, most will grant a first request in writing, so ask before you miss it.
What if my deadline to respond to a California lawsuit has already passed?
Check the court's register of actions online for whether a default has been entered. If not, you can often still file. If it has, you need a motion to set aside under CCP 473, with a six-month outer limit, relief is close to mandatory if an attorney's mistake caused it, discretionary if yours did.
Is filing an answer my only option when I'm sued in California?
No, and choosing wrongly wastes your money. A demurrer attacks a complaint that fails to state a claim. A motion to quash challenges defective service or personal jurisdiction. A motion to strike removes improper matter. Each has the same 30-day deadline, and filing an answer waives some of these other arguments.
What happens after I file my answer in a California civil lawsuit?
A case management conference within roughly 120 days, then discovery, written questions, document demands, depositions. This is where self-represented defendants get into real difficulty, since missed discovery deadlines can produce sanctions that end the case as badly as a default. Use the months your answer buys to find counsel.
Can a plaintiff take my house if they win a judgment against me in California?
They can record an abstract of judgment that becomes a lien on real property you own in that county, which usually blocks a sale or refinance without paying. Forced sale of a primary residence is possible but uncommon and slow. California's homestead exemption protects a substantial amount of equity, well over $300,000 in many counties.
What can a judgment creditor take from my paycheck and bank account in California?
Up to 20% of disposable earnings, plus the balance of a bank account subject to exemptions. Social Security and most public benefits are automatically protected, and there's protection for a modest amount of directly deposited benefits. Other exemptions must be claimed on form EJ-160 within a short window after a levy.
Should I file for bankruptcy instead of fighting a lawsuit I can't afford?
For some people, yes, and it's worth asking early. Chapter 7 discharges most contract and consumer debt, and the automatic stay stops the lawsuit immediately. If you have no significant assets and the claim is dischargeable, bankruptcy may serve you better than an answer. Fraud and intentional tort claims generally aren't dischargeable though, so talk to a bankruptcy attorney first.
Am I judgment proof if I have no assets or income to collect from?
It's a real concept, and a dangerous one to lean on. Someone with no property, no non-exempt income, and no bank balance is difficult to collect from right now, but the judgment lasts 10 years, is renewable, and accrues 10% interest a year. Circumstances change, an inheritance or new job years from now meets a judgment that's doubled.
Can I settle a lawsuit without a lawyer in California?
Yes, and plaintiffs often prefer it. Two conditions matter. Get any settlement in writing, signed, with an explicit dismissal with prejudice. And don't sign a stipulated judgment without understanding it, since that becomes a judgment against you the moment you miss a payment.
What doesn't paid document-preparation help cover if I'm sued for over $35,000?
Discovery, motions, depositions, trial, or any appearance on your behalf. It covers the responsive pleading itself, filed on time and in the right form, raising the defenses your facts support. That's worth a lot against a default judgment for the full amount, but it isn't a substitute for counsel in a case that's genuinely going to be fought.
Where can I get free or low-cost legal help if I'm sued and can't afford a lawyer?
Your county's court self-help center, the local bar association's lawyer referral service, which usually offers a low-cost consultation, and legal aid if your income qualifies. Some law schools run civil clinics too. Check all of these before paying for anything.

SueEasy is a self-help legal technology product built by LegalForce RAPC Worldwide, P.C. Using SueEasy does not create an attorney-client relationship and does not provide legal advice. You are not represented by an attorney unless you hire one. Larger civil cases carry more risk, and a consult with a licensed California attorney is worth the cost for many defendants.