So Sue Me! Never been hit by a lawsuit? Prepare for your day in court.

Lawsuits are an ugly fact of life. Sadly, in our litigioussociety, if you haven't already had the pleasure, you'reprobably overdue for one or more of these uniquely time-consuming,aggravating and expensive ordeals.

You'll know you're being sued when you receive formalnotice by mail or in person. And after the shock and rage subside,you'll find yourself holding a summons directing you to file awritten response with the applicable court within a specifiedperiod of time, generally 30 days for state courts and 20 days forfederal. What do you do now?

"Act immediately," says Atlanta attorney Ken Menendez,author of Taming the Lawyers: What to Expect in a Lawsuit andHow to Make Sure Your Attorney Gets Results (MerrittPublishing). "Don't put the summons aside, thinkingyou'll get to it later. This is the number-one mistake peoplemake, and once they've missed a deadline, they've reallyjeopardized their rights." Remember, if you're sued, aresponse must be filed on time. But that doesn'tnecessarily mean you'll be the one who has to file it.