Deadline Calculator

When someone is served with court papers or receives a notice—an eviction summons, a debt complaint, a custody order, a benefits denial letter—the most urgent question is “When is my deadline?” People often don’t know whether to count calendar days or court days, how mail or electronic service changes the timeline, whether weekends and holidays shift the due date, or what the cut-off time is for filing or appearing. A wrong guess can mean default, dismissal, or losing benefits.

This task focuses on a system that acts as a deadline explainer and calculator. Based on the user’s jurisdiction (state, county, specific court/track), what was served, when it was served, and how it was served (personal, mail, substitute, posting + mail, overnight, e-service/portal), the system computes the exact next due date and time, then explains the calculation in plain language. It handles local rules for mailing extensions, business-day vs. calendar-day counting, last-day rules, court closures/holidays, time zones, and e-filing cutoffs. It also adapts to the user’s case posture (starting a case, responding, post-judgment) and role (tenant/defendant/petitioner/respondent).

The guidance is practical and step-wise: it names the action tied to the deadline (e.g., “File an Answer,” “Request a hearing,” “Submit objections”), links to the right form(s) and filing options (clerk’s office, e-file, mail), and suggests prep milestones (draft by X date, serve by Y). If key facts are missing or uncertain, it asks short clarification questions first; if uncertainty remains, it shows a “play-it-safe” earliest date and how the date would change under different assumptions.

For accessibility, it provides plain-language summaries, Spanish (and other languages as available), large-print or screen-reader-friendly output, and optional calendar files (.ics) with reminders. It can render a visual timeline or checklist for users who prefer at-a-glance guidance. Service providers can use an intake mode to enter facts quickly from a notice or transcript and print/share the results with clients.

This task is especially valuable for legal help websites, court self-help centers, hotlines, and community navigators—anywhere timing mistakes are common and costly. It reduces defaults and last-minute scrambles by giving people a verified date, a transparent “how we counted” explanation, and a concrete action plan to meet the deadline.

Success means the user sees a specific due date and cut-off time, understands why that’s the date under local rules, knows what to file or do before then, and receives guardrails that favor safety (e.g., earliest defensible deadline) when facts are uncertain—so they can act confidently and on time.