On June 2, the Arkansas Supreme Court released the 2011 changes to the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure (2011 Ark. 250).
The supreme court adopted most of the proposed rule changes that were announced back in March. They did not adopt the proposed new Service and Proof of Service forms.
The changes take effect on July 1, 2011. They include:
- 30-Day Answer Period for All Defendants in Circuit Court – Rule 12 will state that a defendant must file his or her answer to a complaint within 30 days. Currently, Arkansas defendants have 20 days to answer, and out-of-state defendants have 30 days. (Incarcerated defendants will still have 60 days.) The official Summons form is revised to reflect this. Continue reading 2011 Arkansas Civil Procedure Rule Changes