What Happens if I Don’t Answer a Divorce Complaint?

You’re sitting at home on a Thursday night, and there’s a knock on the door. You answer it and find a woman who hands you papers.

You’ve been served with a Complaint for divorce

On the first page of the papers, there’s something called a Summons. The Summons tells you you’re being sued for divorce. It also tells you that if you have been served for divorce in Utah, you must respond within twenty-one days. It also tells you that if you have been served for divorce outside of Utah, you must respond within thirty days.

What happens if you don’t respond?

The answer’s pretty simple: you default. Losing by default in divorce is the same as losing by default in sports. If you don’t show up, you don’t play the game, and you lose automatically.

In divorce, however, the stakes are a little higher. Defaulting means your spouse gets whatever he or she asked for in the Complaint. If she asked for sole custody of the children, she gets it. If he asked for you to be responsible for 100% of the debt, you take it.  Whatever is asked for is received.

So, don’t default. You will regret it every day of your life if you do.

Last Piece of Advice

If you can’t hire an attorney or don’t have time to right now, file an Answer to the Complaint. If you file an Answer, then your spouse can’t default you and have bought yourself some good time to hire an attorney.

Simplest way to file an Answer is to deny every allegation in the Complaint for divorce. All you have to do is write something like, “I deny every allegation and prayer for relief contained in Petitioner’s Complaint for Divorce.”

This isn’t the best way to Answer, but it will do in a pinch.

Protect Your Money And Your Family

We remove fear associated with divorce, protect your money & maximize time with your kids!

We're here to help. Let's determine your best options.

Call Us 24//7 at 801-685-9999 to Speak with a Live Representative

Utah Divorce FAQs
Top 100 Divorce Blog
What Clients Are Saying…
BrownLaw icon
Excellent
Brown Family Law
Based on 1013 reviews
Worked with Nick and Carren they did an awesome job with a difficult situation. The whole Brown law team was excellent to work with. I would highly recommend them to anyone that needs thier services. Thank you Nick and Carren also the rest of the team. On a side note everyone i delt with was very friendly! Thank you again!
Clay is the best
Clay was fantastic. I really appreciated his professionalism and knowledge. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone needing his services.
Helped me with everything, supported me in all my decisions! Communication is top notch! Never worked with a lawyer who was so easy to get a hold of! They are the best!
Daniel is a wizard. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and has a real gift for walking you through stressful situations with clarity and calm. He makes the process feel easy when it could otherwise be overwhelming. Highly recommend working with him!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Navigating a divorce is never easy, and I am so grateful to have had the support of attorney Nathaniel Garrabrandt and paralegal Carren Leavitt. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, and compassionate. I really appreciated the weekly check-in Every phone call and email was answered promptly. There were moments when I needed immediate help with custody issues and protection—Nathaniel handled those situations with calm expertise and gave me the reassurance I needed during such a stressful and uncertain time.

Divorce can feel overwhelming, but having strong legal guidance made all the difference. Nathaniel and Carren provided not only the legal knowledge but also the steady support that helped me feel protected and confident moving forward. I couldn’t recommend Briwn Family Law more highly to anyone needing a reliable and caring legal team!
David Handy and his team were fantastic in helping me navigate custody time with my daughter. He gave the me reassurance and encouragement I needed with each step and I couldn't be more grateful to him! Thanks David! And to his team Candace & Brooklyn for being very helpful in keeping constant communication open. I enjoyed working with everyone!
I had a great experience. Amazing guidance and direction to best help me and my situation.
This has honestly been a first-class experience! I've gotten to work with many attorneys throughout my life and none have been as attentive as, Clay Randle has been.
Daniel and Carren were great to work with. They took time to help me understand the process and get through a difficult time. When I had questions they were quick to respond and really listened to my concerns.
yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7

Categories

Related Posts