Yes. In the US any individual who is an adult can use self-representation (Pro Se) in any civil litigation.
It is possible for a creditor to receive a judgment by default when the debtor does not appear on the date of the trial (hearing). In most instances all that is needed is for the creditor plaintiff to make a reasonable attempt to serve the person named on the civil summons and not necessary for the summons to be physically placed in the defendant's hands.
There is no specific form that must be used to answer a summons in Gwinnett County. Generally the summons is delivered with a complaint; the complaint should be answered paragraph by paragraph with an admission, denial or statement that not enough facts are known to either admit or deny the allegation of the complaint.
It is possible to face legal consequences if you do not respond to a court summons for a credit card debt lawsuit. This can include a default judgment being issued against you, leading to wage garnishment or asset seizure. It is important to seek legal advice and respond to the summons to avoid these consequences.
If this is a reference to a summons received from the court that a lawsuit has been filed by a creditor or collector, it is best to obtain legal counsel. If that is not an option, the defendant should be certain they claim all property exemptions allowable under the laws of the state where they reside. If the defendant is a homeowner be certain the homestead exemption has been properly filed. In some states the homestead exemption is automatized under state statutes and does not need to be filed. State and/or federal bankruptcy exemptions also apply to lawsuit judgments for protecting a defendant's property from creditor attachment.
conflict of interest
response form for bankruptcy F7004-1 summons
There is not such an action as "filing a summons", perhaps what is meant is filed a judgment. Creditors have for the most part lengthy time limits in which to execute a judgment once it has been entered against the debtor. A creditor can simply "hold" the judgment until such time they decide that enforcing it is a viable option. For example a debtor who was previously unemployed begins working, the it might be possible for the judgment to be executed as a wage garnishment.
A creditor does not issue a summons. A summons is issued by the court of jurisdiction when some form of legal action has commenced. A summons will not be placed on a CR. However, if a judgment is awarded in a lawsuit, that will be entered into the public records section of the CR and will remain seven years or perhaps longer. In regards to the "bluffing", if the person has received a summons from the court via regular mail, courier service, a process server or a sheriff; you can be certain it is indeed real and should be responded to within the time limit noted.
Not in creditor lawsuit. It is a myth that the defendant must be served directly with the summons. In some cases certified mail is used or a courier service or an officer of the court. The critieria is simply that the court must make a conserted effort to serve the named person. The lawsuit will continue even if the person cannot be found or refuses to accept the summons. The situation is somewhat different if the suit is for something such as a personal injury, although default laws in some states allow the suit to be heard with the non compliant defendant retaining his or her appellate rights.
You would not have to answer the summons as long as the plaintiff agrees not to move for entry of a default judgment for you not answering the summons within the appropriate time. Also, if you do reach a settlement be sure that the plaintiff promises to and does dismiss the lawsuit when the money is paid.
Summons
Summons