You have 35 days to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in New Jersey. To fight back, you must file a written Answer with the court. In this document, you will respond to the claims against you and assert your defenses.
Getting sued is scary. It feels personal. But this is just paperwork, and paperwork has rules. If you follow the rules, you can protect yourself.
We are not lawyers. We are a legal technology service that helps you generate the documents you need to represent yourself. [Create your court-approved New Jersey Answer in 15 minutes with DebtAegis]
1. New Jersey Answer Deadlines
The clock starts ticking the moment you receive the Summons and Complaint. In New Jersey, the rule is simple regardless of the court division:
You have 35 days to file your Answer.
This deadline is strict. If you ignore it, the court will likely grant a Default Judgment against you. This means the debt collector wins automatically, giving them the power to garnish your wages or freeze your bank account. Don’t let that happen.
Which Court Are You In?
Check your Summons to see which division handles your case. This depends on how much money the collector is asking for:
- Law Division (Civil Part): Claims over $20,000.
- Special Civil Part: Claims up to $20,000.
- Small Claims: Claims up to $3,000.
2. Filing Fees
New Jersey courts charge a fee to file your Answer. Consider this the cost of admission to defend your rights. The fee depends on the court division:
| Court Division | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| Law Division (Civil Part) | $175 |
| Special Civil Part | $30 |
| Small Claims | $30 |
Note: If you cannot afford these fees, you may apply for a fee waiver directly with the court.
3. Steps to Respond
Writing an Answer from scratch is risky. One mistake can jeopardize your case. We recommend using a structured tool to ensure you cover all bases.
Step 1: Respond to Each Claim
The “Complaint” document lists specific accusations against you in numbered paragraphs. Your “Answer” must reply to each one. You have three options:
- Admit: You agree the statement is 100% true.
- Deny: You disagree.
- Deny due to lack of knowledge: You don’t know if it’s true (a safe and common choice).
Step 2: Assert Affirmative Defenses
An affirmative defense is a legal reason why you shouldn’t have to pay, even if the facts of the debt are true. You must list these in your Answer, or you lose the right to use them later.
Common defenses include:
- Statute of Limitations: The debt is too old to be collected.
- Identity Theft: The debt isn’t yours.
- Payment: You already paid this debt.
- Lack of Standing: The debt collector can’t prove they own the debt.
Step 3: File and Serve
Once your document is ready, you must file it with the court and send a copy to the plaintiff’s attorney. [Get our Premium Plan for Priority Handling]
4. The Statute of Limitations in New Jersey
In New Jersey, debt collectors cannot sue you forever. There is a time limit, called the Statute of Limitations.
- Credit Card Debt: 6 years
- Medical Debt: 6 years
- Personal Loans: 6 years
- Court Judgments: 20 years
If the last payment you made was more than 6 years ago, you may have a “time-barred” defense. Be careful: making a small payment now can restart this 6-year clock.
Ready to Fight Back?
You don’t need to hire an expensive attorney to file a professional Answer. You just need the right tools.
DebtAegis helps you generate a clean, procedural response that is ready for the New Jersey courts.