Calculate your Answer deadline
Uses O.C.G.A. §§ 9-11-12(a) and 15-10-43(c), § 1-3-1(d)(3) (how days are counted), and § 1-4-1 (holidays). Free, and nothing is saved.
The day the papers reached you. Don't worry about counting — the day you were served is not counted, and we handle that.
Use the day the papers were handed to you, or the day they were left at your home with an adult who lives there.
Pick the date and check the box to calculate.
This calculator gives general information based on Georgia's court rules. It cannot give you an official date — only the court can. To be sure, call the court clerk at the phone number on your papers.
What happens if you miss the deadline
If you don't file a written Answer in time, the company suing you can ask the court to win automatically. That is called a default judgment, and it is how most of these cases end. About 95% of people never respond. Once the company has a judgment, it can ask to take money from your paycheck or freeze your bank account.
Filing an Answer stops the automatic win. It makes the company prove its case. Debt buyers often can't, because the paperwork gets lost as debts are sold from company to company.
Official rules
- O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12(a) — 30 days to answer in State and Superior Court
- O.C.G.A. § 15-10-43 — 30 days to answer in Magistrate Court (in writing or in person), and the 15-day grace period
- O.C.G.A. § 1-3-1(d)(3) — how the days are counted
- Georgia.gov — official 2026 state holiday calendar
- Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division — Magistrate Court information
Common questions
Does the day I was served count?
No. The court rules say to skip the day you got the papers and start counting the next day. Day 1 is the day after you were served.
Do weekends and holidays count?
Yes, every day counts, including weekends and holidays. There is one exception: if your last day lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or court holiday, you get until the next day the court is open. The calculator handles this for you.
What if the papers were left with someone at my home?
The clock usually starts the day the papers were left, even if you were not there. If you got the papers some other way, by mail or through a notice in a newspaper, the start date can be different. Call the court clerk at the number on your papers and ask when your response is due.
What if my deadline has already passed?
Act fast, but don't give up. Courts often accept an Answer right up until the company suing you asks the court to win automatically (a "default judgment"). Even after a default judgment, it can sometimes be undone if you move quickly.
Which court is my case in, and does it change my deadline?
Debt cases for $15,000 or less usually go to Magistrate Court; bigger cases go to State or Superior Court. The top of your papers says which. It doesn't change your deadline — Georgia gives you 30 days in all of them.
Can I answer in person instead of filing papers?
In Magistrate Court, yes. Georgia lets you go to the clerk's office and give your answer out loud within the 30 days — the clerk writes it down for you. It has to be in person, not by phone. A written Answer is still the safer choice, because you control exactly what it says.
My 30 days passed. Is it too late?
Not yet. Georgia has a grace period most states don't: for 15 days after your deadline, you have the right to reopen the case by filing your Answer and paying the court costs — the judge can't refuse. After those 15 days, it takes a judge's permission. Move fast, and call the clerk to ask what the costs are.
Do Georgia's odd state holidays change my date?
Sometimes. Georgia closes state offices on a few unusual days — Good Friday, and Christmas Eve in place of Presidents' Day — but the exact dates are set by the Governor each year, and county courts can differ. The calculator only extends your deadline for the holidays that are the same every year, so the date it shows is never later than your real one.
Need to file an Answer?
CaseDefender walks you through writing your own Answer, question by question, in plain English, so you can file it before your deadline.
Start my AnswerOne important thing
CaseDefender is an online provider of legal fill-in-the-blank forms and general legal information. CaseDefender is not a law firm, does not act as your attorney, is not affiliated with any law firm, and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. CaseDefender's forms, courses, and other products are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. No attorney-client relationship and no attorney-client privilege is created by using this service. You are representing yourself. Any document you produce is your own document: you are solely responsible for reviewing it for accuracy, for every legal decision you make, for confirming it complies with the rules of your court, and for filing and serving it on time. Court rules, deadlines, and the law vary by state and by court, and they are strict. CaseDefender cannot guarantee any result and is not responsible for the outcome of your case. If you want advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state; your state bar association maintains a referral directory.