Once a statement of claim reaches you, the clock starts running. Under the Civil Procedure Regulations, 5779-2018, you generally have 60 days to file a statement of defense, or 15 days in a small claim. If you do not file on time, you are exposed to a default judgment.
Five steps for the first days: write down the date you received the documents; gather the contract, the correspondence and the receipts; write out for yourself what happened in chronological order; check whether you also have claims against the plaintiff that could be filed as a counterclaim; and send the statement of claim to a lawyer.
Even when there seems to be room for a settlement, the statement of defense sets your starting point in the negotiations.
Source: Civil Procedure Regulations, 5779-2018
First published in Hebrew. Read the Hebrew original