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Introduction

This guide provides general information for Pennsylvanians who are facing debt collection lawsuits in Pennsylvania Magisterial District Courts (referred to in this handbook as district court). Note: District court is a small claims and neighborhood court. It does not apply to courts outside the State of Pennsylvania. It is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice in your individual case.

Your local legal services program may not be able to represent you due to limited staff. This booklet may help you respond to a debt collection lawsuit. This booklet does not tell you everything about how to handle such a suit. It only describes the steps that should be taken in the simplest cases. It may be difficult to handle a defense without a lawyer. After reading this booklet, you may decide that it is too complicated for you to do by yourself. Before you make that decision, you should read this entire booklet.

Navigation Through the Handbook

You can navigate through this booklet by using the Back and Next buttons appearing on each page or click on a link in the Table of Contents below to jump to a specific section of the handbook in a new window.

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