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How to Respond to a Lawsuit in Connecticut: Answer a Summons (2026)

Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team. Connecticut. Last updated 2026-06-02

In Connecticut, a defendant served with a civil summons and complaint responds on a schedule that runs from the return day printed on the writ, not from the date you were handed the papers. For a general civil case in the Superior Court, Connecticut Practice Book § 10-8 requires the defendant's pleadings to advance within 30 calendar days from the return day. Connecticut counts these as calendar days, and under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-347c the only adjustment is that if the last day falls on a day the clerk's office is closed, the deadline moves to the next business day. The eviction track is far shorter. In a summary process action, § 10-8 sets the pleading period at just 3 days from the return day, also counted as calendar days. Small claims works differently from many states and is a common trap. Under Practice Book § 24-16(a), a small claims defendant must file a written answer, or a motion to transfer under § 24-21, on or before the answer date printed on the writ and notice of suit, which the clerk sets at not less than 15 nor more than 45 days after the writ is filed under § 24-12. Appearing without filing that written answer is not enough in Connecticut small claims. A response in a divorce or dissolution matter is due within 30 days from the return day, because Practice Book § 25-9 directs the family defendant to comply with § 10-8. If you miss a required answer, the plaintiff can move for default under § 17-32(a) and the court can enter a default judgment, which you can later move to open within 4 months under § 17-43(a).

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How long do I have to respond to a lawsuit in Connecticut?

It depends on the track, and the clock runs from the return day printed on the writ, not the date you were served. For a general civil complaint, Connecticut Practice Book § 10-8 requires your pleadings to advance within 30 calendar days from the return day. In a summary process (eviction) case the period is only 3 days from the return day. In small claims, you must file a written answer on or before the answer date printed on the writ and notice of suit, which the court sets between 15 and 45 days after the writ is filed under § 24-12.

How do I respond to a civil summons in Connecticut?

You respond by filing a written answer with the Clerk of the Superior Court at the location named on the summons, then serving a copy on every other party and attaching a certification of service under Connecticut Practice Book § 10-12. Self-represented parties can file on paper or electronically, while attorneys must e-file through E-Services under § 4-4. The answer admits or denies each numbered allegation of the complaint and states your defenses.

What happens if I don't answer a summons in Connecticut?

If you do not respond by your deadline in a case that requires an answer, the plaintiff can file a written motion for default for failure to plead under Connecticut Practice Book § 17-32(a), which the clerk acts on no sooner than 7 days after it is filed. The court can then enter a default judgment for what the complaint requests. You can later move to open the judgment within 4 months under § 17-43(a).

How do I answer a summons without an attorney in Connecticut?

Self-represented defendants can file an answer themselves. Connecticut publishes a fillable answer form, JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint, Civil Cases Only), and sets the caption format under Practice Book § 4-1. Complete the form with the court, the parties, and the docket number, file it with the clerk on paper or through E-Services, serve every other party with a certification of service, and pay the $175 appearance fee or request a waiver on form JD-CV-120.

Connecticut response framework at a glance

Connecticut's response rules turn on two things most defendants get wrong: the deadline runs from the return day printed on the writ rather than the date of service, and small claims requires a written answer. A general civil case in the Superior Court is governed by Connecticut Practice Book § 10-8, which directs that pleadings advance within 30 calendar days from the return day. These are calendar days. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-347c, the only adjustment is that if the last day falls on a day the clerk's office is closed, the deadline moves to the next business day, so there is no federal-style weekend exclusion even on short windows. The eviction track is the short track: in a summary process action § 10-8 fixes the pleading period at 3 days from the return day, also counted as calendar days. Small claims is the trap. Under Practice Book § 24-16(a), a small claims defendant is defaulted unless, on or before the answer date, the defendant files a written answer or a motion to transfer under § 24-21. That answer date is set by § 24-12 at not less than 15 nor more than 45 days after the writ and accompanying documents are filed. Simply showing up is not enough in Connecticut small claims; you must file the written answer by the date on the writ. A divorce or dissolution response is due within 30 days from the return day, because Practice Book § 25-9 directs the family defendant to comply with § 10-8. Answers are filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court at the location named on the summons, served on every other party with a certification of service under § 10-12, and formatted under § 4-1. The Connecticut Judicial Branch website at www.jud.ct.gov is the official source for the answer form (JD-CV-106), the fee-waiver application (JD-CV-120), and the small claims rules defendants need.

Court Resources

Connecticut Judicial Branch. Small Claims frequently asked questions

Official Judicial Branch page explaining the Small Claims Session of the Superior Court, the $5,000 general dollar limit and the $15,000 limit for home improvement contracts, and how a defendant responds, including the requirement to file a written answer by the answer date.

Answer form JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint, Civil Cases Only)

The official fillable form a defendant can use to admit or deny each allegation and state defenses in a civil case in the Superior Court, available as a PDF from the Connecticut Judicial Branch forms library.

Fee-waiver application JD-CV-120 (Application for Waiver of Fees)

The official application a defendant can file instead of paying the appearance fee, based on indigence or an inability to pay, covering civil, housing, and small claims matters. Family matters use form JD-FM-75.

Relevant Laws

Connecticut Practice Book § 10-8 (30-Day Pleading Schedule From the Return Day; 3 Days in Summary Process)

Provides that, commencing on the return day, pleadings shall advance within 30 days from the return day, except that in summary process (eviction) actions the period is 3 days and in mortgage foreclosure actions it is 15 days. This is the controlling general civil answer deadline in Connecticut.

Connecticut Practice Book § 24-16(a) (Small Claims: Written Answer Required by the Answer Date)

Provides that a small claims defendant shall be defaulted and judgment shall enter unless the defendant, on or before the answer date, files an answer or a motion to transfer under § 24-21. In Connecticut small claims a written answer is required; appearing without filing one is not sufficient.

Connecticut Practice Book § 24-12 (Small Claims Answer-Date Window: 15 to 45 Days)

Provides that the answer date shall not be less than 15 nor more than 45 days after the writ and accompanying documents are filed in the court. The specific answer date printed on the writ and notice of suit is the small claims defendant's deadline to file a written answer.

Connecticut Practice Book § 17-32(a) (Motion for Default for Failure to Plead)

Provides that where a defendant is in default for failure to plead under § 10-8, the plaintiff may file a written motion for default, which the clerk acts on no less than 7 days after it is filed, without placement on the short calendar. This is how a missed answer leads to default.

Connecticut Practice Book § 17-43(a) (Opening a Judgment Upon Default; 4-Month Window)

Allows a court to open a judgment rendered upon default within 4 months after notice was sent, on a showing of a good defense or cause of action and that the party was prevented from appearing or defending by mistake, accident, or other reasonable cause.

Connecticut Practice Book § 25-9 (Answer in a Family Matter, via § 10-8)

Directs a defendant in a dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment matter to file pleadings that comply with § 10-8, among other sections. The rule states no separate day count, so the operative 30-day response period comes from § 10-8 through that cross-reference.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576 (Six-Year Limitation on Written Contracts)

Sets a six-year statute of limitations on actions on a written contract, the limitations period a defendant should check in a debt-collection case before answering. Federal debt-validation rights also apply under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g.

Regional Variances

Answer deadline by case track in Connecticut

General civil complaint (Conn. Practice Book § 10-8)

30 calendar days from the return day printed on the writ, summons and complaint to advance your pleadings in the Superior Court. The trigger is the return day, not the date of service, and the days are counted as calendar days with the next-business-day extension if the clerk's office is closed on the last day.

Summary process / eviction (Conn. Practice Book § 10-8)

Only 3 days from the return day, counted as calendar days. Connecticut has no federal-style weekend exclusion for short windows, so the 3-day eviction period runs on calendar days with the next-business-day extension only if the clerk's office is closed on the last day. This is far shorter than the 30-day general civil window.

Small claims (Conn. Practice Book § 24-16(a) and § 24-12)

A written answer, or a motion to transfer under § 24-21, must be filed on or before the answer date printed on the writ and notice of suit, which the clerk sets at 15 to 45 days after the writ is filed. Unlike many states, appearing without filing a written answer is not sufficient and results in a default.

Divorce / dissolution response (Conn. Practice Book § 25-9 via § 10-8)

30 calendar days from the return day to file the family answer, because § 25-9 directs the family defendant to comply with the § 10-8 pleading schedule. Missing it can let the dissolution proceed by default on property, support, and custody.

Which Connecticut court hears your case, by amount

Small Claims Session, Superior Court

Hears claims up to $5,000 in general, or up to $15,000 for home improvement contracts. A written answer is required by the answer date printed on the writ, set at 15 to 45 days after the writ is filed, and a defendant who only appears without answering is defaulted.

Superior Court of Connecticut, regular civil docket

Hears civil cases with no minimum dollar threshold. Pleadings must advance within 30 calendar days from the return day under § 10-8, and the fee to appear and defend is $175, with no separate answer fee unless you file a counterclaim, subject to a fee waiver.

Suggested Compliance Checklist

Calculate your response deadline from the return day on the writ

Day 0 (the return day on the writ) days after starting

Find the deadline that matches your track, counting from the return day printed on the writ rather than the date you were served. A general civil case is due in 30 calendar days from the return day under Connecticut Practice Book § 10-8. A summary process (eviction) case is due in only 3 days from the return day under § 10-8. A divorce or dissolution response is due in 30 days under § 25-9 via § 10-8. In small claims, file a written answer by the answer date printed on the writ, set at 15 to 45 days after the writ is filed under § 24-12. Mark the exact date on a calendar.

Identify your case track and the correct Superior Court location

Within 2 days of the return day days after starting

Read the writ and summons to confirm whether the case is small claims (up to $5,000 general, $15,000 for home improvement contracts), a regular civil case, a summary process eviction, or a family matter. The track decides your deadline, whether you can simply appear or must file a written answer, and the fee. Confirm the Clerk of the Superior Court location named on the summons, because that is where your answer must be filed.

Identify your defenses and any counterclaims

Before drafting the answer days after starting

List the affirmative defenses that fit your facts. Connecticut Practice Book § 10-3 calls for specially pleading defenses such as the statute of limitations, payment, accord and satisfaction, release, fraud, duress, illegality, and res judicata. In debt cases, check the six-year written-contract limitations period under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576. If you have a claim against the plaintiff arising out of the same transaction, raise it as a counterclaim under § 10-10 with your answer.

Draft the answer in the correct caption and format

Before the answer deadline days after starting

Respond to each numbered allegation by admitting, denying, or stating you lack information to admit or deny, then state your affirmative defenses. Connecticut publishes a fillable form, JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint, Civil Cases Only), for civil cases. Set the caption with the court, the parties, and the docket number under Practice Book § 4-1. Attorney review of the drafted answer is available as an option before you file.

Document: answer-to-complaint

File your appearance and answer with the clerk

On or before the answer deadline days after starting

File with the Clerk of the Superior Court at the location named on the summons. Self-represented parties can file on paper or electronically, while attorneys must e-file through E-Services under Practice Book § 4-4. The fee to appear and defend a civil case is $175, with no separate fee for the answer unless you file a counterclaim. In small claims, file your written answer by the answer date on the writ.

Serve every other party and attach a certification of service

With or promptly after filing days after starting

Serve a copy of the filed answer on every other party by mail or electronic delivery and attach a certification of service under Connecticut Practice Book § 10-12. An answer that is filed but not served, or served without a certification of service, can be challenged.

Request a fee waiver if you cannot afford the fee

At the time of filing days after starting

If you cannot pay because of indigence, file form JD-CV-120 (Application for Waiver of Fees) with your appearance for a civil, housing, or small claims matter, or form JD-FM-75 in a family matter, to ask the court to waive the fee. Submitting the application lets you file on time without paying the $175 appearance fee while the court decides eligibility.

Calendar the answer date, hearing, or trial date

As set by the court days after starting

Calendar every date the court sets. In small claims, the answer date printed on the writ is your paper deadline, and you must file a written answer by then rather than relying on showing up. In a regular civil or summary process case, bring your evidence and a copy of your filed answer to any hearing or trial date. Attorney review is available as an option before you file if your case involves the short 3-day eviction deadline, a debt-collection statute-of-limitations question, or a disputed service-of-process issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

An answer responds to each numbered paragraph of the complaint by admitting it, denying it, or stating you lack enough information to admit or deny, and then lists your affirmative defenses. Connecticut publishes a fillable form, JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint, Civil Cases Only), for civil cases. Set the caption with the court, the parties, and the docket number under Connecticut Practice Book § 4-1.

If you missed the answer deadline and a default judgment was entered, you can file a Motion to Open Judgment upon Default under Connecticut Practice Book § 17-43(a). The court can open the judgment if you show mistake, accident, or other reasonable cause that prevented you from appearing or defending, and that you had a good defense or cause of action. File within 4 months after notice of the judgment was sent, because that window is strict.

Often yes. Connecticut's § 10-8 pleading schedule advances in 30-day steps from the return day, and parties commonly agree in writing to extend the answer period or ask the court for more time. Get any extension in writing and confirm it in the file, because the default clock keeps running until the plaintiff agrees, the court grants more time, or you file your answer. Do not assume an informal conversation paused your deadline.

You can ask the court to waive your fee. Connecticut's fee waiver is requested on form JD-CV-120 for civil, housing, and small claims matters, or JD-FM-75 in a family matter, and eligibility is based on indigence or an inability to pay. The fee to appear and defend a civil case is $175, with no separate fee for the answer itself unless you file a counterclaim. If the court grants the waiver, you file without paying that fee.

Yes. Insufficient service of process is a recognized defense in Connecticut, raised by a motion to dismiss. You can challenge the court's jurisdiction over you when service did not follow the rules, rather than ignoring the case. If service was defective, the case may not be properly before the court. Raise a service problem promptly, because ignoring the summons still risks a default for failure to plead under Practice Book § 17-32(a).

Connecticut Practice Book § 10-3 lists affirmative defenses that must be specially pleaded, including the statute of limitations, payment, accord and satisfaction, release, fraud, duress, illegality, and res judicata. To assert your own claim against the plaintiff, you file a counterclaim under § 10-10. Connecticut's counterclaim rule is permissive but uses a transaction test, so a claim arising out of the transaction that is the subject of the complaint is properly raised with your answer.

Respond the same way as any civil complaint: file a timely answer that admits or denies each allegation and raises your defenses. In debt cases, check the six-year statute of limitations for written contracts under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576 and whether the collector validated the debt under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692g. Do not ignore the summons, because silence leads to a default judgment for the full amount claimed. Attorney review of a debt-collection answer is available as an option.

Yes. Connecticut small claims is different from many states. Under Connecticut Practice Book § 24-16(a), you are defaulted unless you file a written answer, or a motion to transfer under § 24-21, on or before the answer date printed on the writ and notice of suit. That answer date is set by § 24-12 at 15 to 45 days after the writ is filed. Simply appearing is not enough, so file the written answer by the date on your writ to avoid a default judgment.

A defendant served in a divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment matter responds within 30 days from the return day, because Connecticut Practice Book § 25-9 directs the family defendant to comply with the § 10-8 pleading schedule. You file your appearance and any answer with the Clerk of the Superior Court named on the summons and use the family fee-waiver form JD-FM-75 if you cannot pay. Missing the window can let the case proceed by default on property, support, and custody.

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Respond to a Lawsuit in Connecticut: 2026 Deadlines - DocDraft