Letter from the court: lawsuit served
Last updated: October 2026
A yellow envelope from the court scares many people. What matters most now is one thing: the deadlines. If you do not react, you can lose for that reason alone.
Sample letter
Birkenweg 9
12345 Musterstadt
In dem Rechtsstreit Beispiel Energie GmbH gegen Maria Beispiel
Sehr geehrte Frau Beispiel,
anliegend erhalten Sie die Klageschrift vom 1. Oktober 2026. Das Gericht hat das schriftliche Vorverfahren angeordnet.
Wenn Sie sich gegen die Klage verteidigen wollen, müssen Sie dies innerhalb einer Notfrist von zwei Wochen nach Zustellung dieses Schreibens dem Gericht schriftlich anzeigen. Innerhalb von zwei weiteren Wochen können Sie schriftlich auf die Klage erwidern.
Zeigen Sie die Verteidigung nicht rechtzeitig an, kann das Gericht auf Antrag ohne mündliche Verhandlung ein Versäumnisurteil gegen Sie erlassen.
Auf Anordnung
Justizbeschäftigte
Made‑up sender, made‑up names. The letter often looks like this or similar.
What does the letter mean?
Someone has sued you, in the sample an energy supplier over an unpaid bill. The court sends you the lawsuit (Klage) and asks whether you want to defend yourself.
The court has not decided anything yet. But if you do not react, it can decide without you. This is called a default judgment (Versäumnisurteil).
Deadlines
- 2 weeks from service (Zustellung) to tell the court that you want to defend yourself. The date of service is on the yellow envelope. Keep it.
- 2 more weeks for your reasons why the lawsuit is not right.
- A strict deadline (Notfrist) cannot be extended. Better to send your answer too early than too late.
What you can do
- Write down the date of service from the envelope and work out the deadlines.
- Read the statement of claim (Klageschrift): who wants what from you and why?
- If you want to defend yourself, write a short note to the court with the case number (Aktenzeichen): „Ich werde mich gegen die Klage verteidigen.“ (I will defend myself against the lawsuit.) Do not forget to sign it.
- At the local court you usually do not need a lawyer. The court's legal applications office (Rechtsantragstelle) helps you write.
- If you have little money, you can apply for legal advice aid (Beratungshilfe) or legal aid (Prozesskostenhilfe). A debt advice service or an advice centre can help you with this.
- If you really owe the money, paying quickly or in instalments can save further costs. Talk to an advice centre first.
This guide does not replace legal advice. Every letter is different: deadlines and amounts apply as they are written in your letter. If you have questions, an advice centre can help.