What is the time for a defendant to answer after service?

What is the time for a defendant to answer after service?

• A. 15 days
• B. 30 days
• C. 45 days
• D. 60 days

Answer: (B)

In North Carolina the default time to answer after being served with a summons and complaint is 30 days. This comes from Rule 12(a) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and starts from the date of proper service. The 30-day window is the standard unless the service falls into special circumstances—most notably if the defendant is served outside the state, in which case the period extends to 60 days. Because the question doesn’t specify out-of-state service or other exceptions, the best answer is the 30-day default.

In North Carolina the default time to answer after being served with a summons and complaint is 30 days. This comes from Rule 12(a) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and starts from the date of proper service. The 30-day window is the standard unless the service falls into special circumstances—most notably if the defendant is served outside the state, in which case the period extends to 60 days. Because the question doesn’t specify out-of-state service or other exceptions, the best answer is the 30-day default.