How to use the answer filing deadline calculator
Once you are served with a summons and complaint, the clock on your response starts immediately. This tool takes the service date, applies the response period that matches how you were served, and shows the due date together with the time remaining.
How the counting works - Under FRCP 6(a)(1) the day of service is not counted, every day after it is, and a due date landing on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday rolls forward to the next business day. Add any federal holiday that falls on the deadline.
Legal basis - Response periods come from FRCP 12(a): 21 days after service, 60 days from a waiver request sent to a defendant inside the United States, 90 days if sent abroad, 60 days for the United States and its agencies and officers under FRCP 12(a)(2), and 14 days after a Rule 12 motion is resolved under FRCP 12(a)(4)(A). By comparison, Korean civil defendants have 30 days under Article 256 of its Civil Procedure Act. Rules are current as of September 2026; state courts differ.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
FRCP 12(a)(1)(A)(i) gives 21 days after being served with the summons and complaint. Waiving formal service under FRCP 4(d) extends that to 60 days from when the waiver request was sent, or 90 days if you are outside the United States.
The plaintiff can ask the clerk for an entry of default and then move for a default judgment under FRCP 55. Courts can set aside an entry of default for good cause, but it is far easier to file on time or ask for an extension first.
Yes. Under FRCP 12(a)(4)(A), if the court denies a Rule 12 motion or postpones its disposition, the responsive pleading is due within 14 days after notice of the court action.