Civil Disputes

You were sued, or you need to sue

The urgent search is a sheriff’s service or a complaint on the kitchen table. People ask how long they have to answer. In many Pennsylvania civil cases the response time is short, often measured in days from service, and a missed answer can become a default. The court name and the deadline printed on the first page matter more than the argument.

Contract disputes, unpaid invoices, debt cases, and neighbor disputes all arrive under this search. Send the court name, the county, and the date you were served. If you are the one who needs to file, say what you are owed and where the other person is.

Philadelphia and the suburban courts

Municipal Court and Common Pleas in Philadelphia are different from a district court in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Berks. The caption on the first page tells the desk which one.

Nothing on this page is a prediction of what a case is worth, and it is not legal advice. A message asks the desk to review the facts and refer them.

What to send

Someone sued you, or you need to sue someone, and it is not a criminal case. Send the court name and the deadline on the first page.

The useful first facts are the place, the date, the court if there is one, and what happened. Records can wait until a lawyer asks for them.

How a referral works

A message asks the desk to read the facts and refer them to a lawyer who handles this work. It does not hire that lawyer, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

The lawyer who receives the introduction decides whether to take the matter and talks with you about deadlines and fees.

Related civil cases

• Insurance Claims — Denied or delayed claims
• Landlord and Tenant — Eviction, repairs, and deposits
• Wills and Estates — Probate and estate disputes