How to use DebtDefense

3 min

Create your account, enter your basic information, and start your first case by uploading the lawsuit you were served.

1. 1Click Get started and sign in with your email — we send a one-time secure link, no password to remember.
2. 2Enter your name, address, and phone number. This is required so your court documents match the case caption exactly.
3. 3Review and e-sign the service agreement. It's short and in plain English — it spells out exactly what DebtDefense prepares.
4. 4Start a new case and choose the state where you were sued.

2 min

Upload a photo or PDF of your warrant in debt and DebtDefense reads the plaintiff, amount, case number, and court dates for you — you just double-check.

1. 1On the first onboarding step, tap Upload & auto-fill.
2. 2Take a clear photo of the first page of your papers, or choose a PDF. Photos are automatically shrunk so they upload fast.
3. 3Wait a few seconds while the app reads the document.
4. 4Step through each field and correct anything that's off — the app fills what it found, but you have the final say on every detail.

4 min

Prepare your court response — the single most important document for avoiding a default judgment.

1. 1Open your case and go to the document plan. The Answer / Grounds of Defense is at the top.
2. 2Work through the plain-English options, selecting the defenses that fit your situation. Each option explains what it means.
3. 3Preview the document. Everything is watermarked until you start your defense.
4. 4Complete Stage 1 to unlock the download, then get your court-format .docx and PDF plus a filing checklist.

5 min

Understand whether your card agreement's arbitration clause is a tool you can use, and prepare the complete election package.

1. 1Upload or describe your original card agreement so the app can review the arbitration clause.
2. 2Read the plain-English breakdown: who administers arbitration, who pays the fees, and whether the clause survived the sale of your debt.
3. 3If you choose to elect arbitration, generate the Motion to Stay and the arbitration demand together.
4. 4Follow the certified-mail checklist — it tells you exactly which papers go to the court and which go to the company suing you.

4 min

The part nobody explains: printing, copies, certified mail, and what to say at the clerk's office.

1. 1Open your filing checklist for the document you generated.
2. 2Print the number of copies listed — typically one for the court, one for the plaintiff's attorney, and one for your records.
3. 3Mail the plaintiff's copy by the method your checklist specifies (often certified mail) and keep the receipt.
4. 4File the original with the clerk before your deadline, and hold onto your date-stamped copy.

2 min

Debt cases move fast. See how DebtDefense builds your timeline and emails you before key dates.

1. 1On your case page, review the deadline timeline built from the dates on your papers.
2. 2Confirm each date against your actual court documents — you can edit any of them.
3. 3Make sure email reminders are on so you get a heads-up before each deadline.
4. 4Add your trial date when it's set to unlock later deadlines like the subpoena cutoff.