What do I need to do to get an extension on this twenty days. I need time to get a lawyer and access old bank records. If it matters, the case is filed in Kentucky.
2007-07-16 11:37:20 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
In some states, whether to grant you an extension of time to answer is up to the plaintiff's lawyer. If you call and say you are getting a lawyer, the plaintiff's lawyer will probably say to have your lawyer call within the 20 day period and get an extension. It is a courtesy typically extended to another lawyer just coming into the case. The other answers that said ask the judge are probably wrong. Even if a case is assigned to a judge in Kentucky upon filing of a case, you don't judge call judge and say "Yo, judge, how about more time?" That would require filing a motion, arranging with the clerk's office for a hearing date before the judge, properly serving the motion, preparing a supporting memorandum stating your reasons for requiring the extension in the motion, etc. Not practical and not necessary. Call the other lawyer if you want, but expect that your answer will be "Not until you get your lawyer and then have your lawyer call me." Sorry. That's probably how it is. That being the case, hire your lawyer while your request for the bank records is pending.
2007-07-16 19:28:00 · answer #1 · answered by mattapan26 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lawyer would have no problem telling a judge he needs more time to prepare a defense. Unfortunately, a lawyer will try to discourage you from doing the "legwork" on your case -- he'd like to charge you for it. You, with a lawyer's advice, could PROBABLY do the same thing. Without a lawyer's advice, good luck (judges like lawyers).
Actually, I don't know why you're on this website, where you can get lots of opinions and guesses, when you could be speaking to a Legal Aid Society, or an ordinary lawyer who KNOWS what he's talking about.
2007-07-16 11:59:04 · answer #2 · answered by jesteele1948 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You ask the court clerk for an application for extension, fill it out and turn it in. It's quite simple, but note that the judge will probably deny it unless you have a very good reason. "I need more time to get a lawyer" is probably not going to do it, you need to explain why you couldn't get one in 20 days. If the bank wants more time, that's probably enough reason.
2007-07-16 12:16:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋