Rule 1956.No Responsive Pleading Required.

The defendant does not have to answer in writing. No pleading need be filed in response to the petition or the certified emergency order, and every averment the defendant doesn’t admit is deemed denied. The defendant can contest the facts at the hearing without having filed anything.

The hearing is what counts. The Notice of Hearing and Order that Rule 1959(a) places at the front of the petition tells the defendant that to defend against the claims, the defendant must appear at the scheduled hearing, and that if the defendant fails to appear, a final order may be entered granting the relief requested. The notice also advises that the defendant may have a lawyer at the hearing, though the court will not appoint one. Rule 1957 then lets the court decide on general findings.