How long do parties have to respond to pleadings?

In the state of Florida, parties have 20 days to respond to pleadings in a civil lawsuit. This timeline begins running from the day after the pleading is served. Once the 20 day period is over, any party who has not responded will be in default. If one of the parties does not respond, a default judgment can be entered against them. The 20 day time period is outlined in Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.090. This rule requires the parties to “serve and file responsive pleadings” within 20 days after having been served with the initial pleading. If this timeline is not followed, the other parties can request the court to enter a default judgment against them. Although the parties have 20 days to respond to pleadings, they are not required to wait the full 20 days. The responding party can enter an answer or other pleading at any time before the 20 day period is up. It is important for the parties to respond to pleadings promptly. When the timeline is not followed, the court may enter a default judgment against them. This could make it difficult to convince the court to change its decision later on. Therefore, it is important for parties to respond to pleadings within the 20 days provided by Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.090.

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How long do parties have to respond to pleadings?

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