Indiana courts
What is the deadline for respond to an ordinary Indiana civil complaint?
The period for respond to an ordinary Indiana civil complaint normally runs 20 calendar days from service of the summons and complaint on the defendant, under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1). If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Indiana legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Indiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
- Period
- 20 calendar days
- Trigger
- Service of the summons and complaint on the defendant
- Rule
- Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1)
Indiana rules as encoded, 2026 and 2027 legal holidays bundled
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Which date starts the 20-day period?
The period runs from the service of the summons and complaint on the defendant.
For Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Indiana Judicial Branch court rulesA response to a pleading must be filed within twenty days after service of the pleading.
Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1)
This period runs from service as the rule defines it. Do not substitute the filing date, the day a courtesy copy arrived or the day you first read the paper. Confirm that event before applying Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1).
Which date do I enter?How are the 20 calendar days counted?
- Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1). Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or Indiana legal holiday, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
The Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) record uses this method. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A).
For Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), if the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Indiana legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Indiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
The supporting computation provision for Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) adds this boundary. Indiana computes time under Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A). The calculator applies Indiana legal holidays for 2026 and 2027. A local court closure, an emergency closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President is not bundled and can extend the deadline.
Read Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A)The calculation applies the ordinary method recorded for Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1). Check applicable holidays, court accessibility and the filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the service of the summons and complaint on the defendant on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (service of the summons and complaint on the defendant on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A). The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the ordinary period under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1).
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 20 | Ordinary deadline in this example | September 21, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- Trial Rule 6(B) allows one automatic 30-day enlargement by filing a notice on or before the original due date, and Trial Rule 6(C) allows court enlargement. The calculator assumes neither.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, approved stipulation, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1).
- Trial Rule 6(B) allows one automatic 30-day enlargement by filing a notice on or before the original due date, and Trial Rule 6(C) allows court enlargement. The calculator assumes neither.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1).
What should I check before filing?
Common questions
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the service of the summons and complaint on the defendant, or when I first learned of it?
Under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), the period runs from the service of the summons and complaint on the defendant, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 20 calendar days or business days?
For Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), count calendar days, including intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A) carries it forward as provided by that rule.
Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A)Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
Indiana filing rules and the court’s electronic filing system set the cutoff. This calculator does not verify filing hours or system availability. Confirm that boundary before relying on a Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) result.
Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A)What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A) and the court’s administrative orders govern an inaccessible clerk’s office. Check the court’s notices. This calculator does not predict a closure. This check remains separate from the ordinary Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) count.
Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A)Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
Trial Rule 6(B) allows one automatic 30-day enlargement by filing a notice on or before the original due date, and Trial Rule 6(C) allows court enlargement. The calculator assumes neither. A request does not itself extend the period under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. A local rule, standing order or case-specific order can control over the ordinary period calculated under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1). Compare the result with every applicable order before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1). It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free calculation under Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1), including the citation, counting steps and warnings. Court-specific facts can keep a result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
An eligible Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) record retains the inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. It records that calculation and its fingerprint, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. A provisional Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) result remains subject to review, and a separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
Provisions used (2)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Ind. Trial Rule 6(D)(1) | Trigger and period |
| Ind. Trial Rule 6(A) and Ind. Appellate Rule 25(A) | Counting, holidays and the last day |