Responding to an Unverified Debt Collection Lawsuit—Self Help Guide

A debt collection lawsuit is a lawsuit where someone (the plaintiff) is suing you (the defendant) for not paying a debt. The lawsuit starts with the filing of a complaint and service upon you of that complaint. The most typical type of complaint in a debt collection lawsuit is an unverified complaint. A verified complaint is one in which there is a statement after the attorney’s or plaintiff’s signature on the complaint which says that it is signed under penalty of perjury stating that the statements in the complaint are true. An unverified complaint does not contain this statement. If you have been served with a verified complaint, you can contact Public Counsel to seek assistance with a response. This guide is intended to assist you in responding to an unverified complaint in a debt collection lawsuit.