Question about being served

[odin343434]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

Hello, my wife and I split up a few years ago. We decided not to go thru the legal stuff until one of us was ready to get serious with someone else. Apparently that day has come.

Everything is friendly between us, neither of us are going after anything from the other. We split up what little we had years ago when we split up. We have no children. We have no joint financial or property concerns of any kind.

Her "Complaint for Divorce" requests only 1) we each be granted the property in our possession and 2) her name be changed.

The summons doesn't really give me any information on what to do, I called the court and they wouldn't tell me anything, and I can't afford a lawyer. She doesn't have one either.

It says that if I don't respond, then judgement will be granted in the plaintiff's favor which I assume means the two items that are checked on the complaint 1) we each keep our stuff and 2) she gets her name changed.

I don't want to just NOT respond if that's going to cause any trouble though and I don't know how to respond. Do I just sign the summons on the back and drop it off at the court clerk office?

The back has a place to sign that says "I acknowledge that I have received ... " but the rest of the stuff on the back appears to be where the Process Server would write things if he had problems serving me.

It's just all very confusing to me.

Thank you for your help.

[Ohiogal]

If you don't answer but they know you have been served then she is granted the things she has asked for -- if all she has asked for are those items and you are in agreement with that then no harm no foul. It is considered a win for her but she is getting what she asked for in the complaint.

[odin343434]

Excellent, thank you very much.