Rule 4:4-2.Summons: Form

Last amended September 1, 2010 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026

In one sentenceRule 4:4-2 prescribes the contents and form of the summons — what it must say, who it is directed to, the deadline it gives the defendant to answer, and the legal-aid and lawyer-referral information it must carry.

Full Text of Rule 4:4-2

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Except as otherwise provided by R. 5:4-1(b) (summary proceedings in family actions), the face of the summons shall be in the form prescribed by Appendix XII-A to these Rules. It shall be in the name of the State, signed in the name of the Superior Court Clerk and directed to the defendant. It shall contain the name of the court and the plaintiff and the name and address of the plaintiff’s attorney, if any, otherwise the plaintiff’s address, and the time within which these rules require the defendant to serve an answer upon the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney, and shall notify the defendant that if he or she fails to answer, judgment by default may be rendered for the relief demanded in the complaint. It shall also inform the defendant of the necessity to file an answer and proof of service thereof with the deputy clerk of the Superior Court in the county of venue, except in mortgage and tax foreclosure actions an answer shall be filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Trenton unless and until the action is deemed contested and the papers have been sent by the Clerk to the county of venue in which event an answer shall be filed with the deputy clerk of the Superior Court in the county of venue. If the defendant is an individual resident in this state, the summons shall advise that if he or she is unable to obtain an attorney, he or she may communicate with the Lawyer Referral Service of the county of his or her residence, or the county in which the action is pending, or, if there is none in either county, the Lawyer Referral Service of an adjacent county. The summons shall also advise defendant that if he or she cannot afford an attorney, he or she may communicate with the Legal Services Office of the county of his or her residence or the county in which the action is pending or the Legal Services of New Jersey statewide toll free hotline at 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529). If the defendant is an individual not resident in this State, the summons shall similarly advise him or her, directing the defendant, however, to the appropriate agency in the county in which the action is pending. The reverse side or second page of the summons shall contain a current listing, by county, of telephone numbers of the Legal Services Office and the Lawyer Referral Office serving each county and the Legal Services of New Jersey statewide toll free hotline at 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529), which list shall be updated regularly by the Administrative Office of the Courts and made available to legal forms publishers and to any person requesting such list.

End

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.

Source-R.R. 4:4-2; amended November 27, 1974 to be effective April 1, 1975; amended July 29, 1977 to be effective September 6, 1977; amended July 21, 1980 to be effective September 8, 1980; amended July 16, 1981 to be effective September 14, 1981; amended December 20, 1983 to be effective December 31, 1983; amended June 29, 1990 to be effective September 4, 1990; amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; amended June 28, 1996 to be effective September 1, 1996; amended July 10, 1998 to be effective September 1, 1998; amended July 23, 2010 to be effective September 1, 2010.

Plain-English Summary

The summons is the formal notice that tells a defendant a suit is underway and what to do about it. It follows the form in Appendix XII-A, issues in the name of the State, is signed by the Superior Court Clerk, and is directed to the defendant. It names the court, the plaintiff, and the plaintiff’s attorney or address, states the time to answer, and warns that a default judgment may follow if the defendant does not respond.

The rule also builds in access to help. The summons must tell a defendant how to reach a Lawyer Referral Service and, for those who cannot afford counsel, the Legal Services office and the statewide Legal Services hotline. A current, county-by-county list of those numbers appears on the reverse, kept up to date by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a New Jersey summons contain?

It must be in the State’s name, signed by the Superior Court Clerk, and directed to the defendant; name the court, plaintiff, and plaintiff’s attorney or address; state the time to answer; warn of a possible default judgment; and provide legal-services and lawyer-referral information.

Does the summons tell defendants where to get legal help?

Yes. It must direct the defendant to the county Lawyer Referral Service and, for those who cannot afford an attorney, to the Legal Services office and the statewide Legal Services of New Jersey hotline.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:4-2). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: summons formcontents of summonsAppendix XII-Atime to answerlegal services notice on summons