Summons In A Civil Action {AO 440}

AO 440 (Rev. 06/12), SUMMONS IN A CIVIL ACTION. This form is used in the United States federal court system to initiate a civil action. The summons is served on the defendant and provides notice that a lawsuit has been filed against them. The form includes the name of the court, the title of the action, the case number, and the names and addresses of both the plaintiff and defendant. The Summons informs the defendant of their obligation to respond to the complaint within a specified time period. The defendant must serve an answer or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure within 21 days after the summons has been served on them (not counting the day they received it). However, if the defendant is the United States or a United States agency, or an officer or employee of the United States described in Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(2) or (3), they have 60 days to respond instead of 21. The provision also includes instructions on how to serve the answer or motion on the plaintiff. The defendant must serve it on the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney, whose name and address are typically listed in the provision. www.FormsWorkflow.com