Generally 35 days from the date you were served with the complaint.
If you do not answer, the lender can seek a default judgment, and the case moves toward sale without your side ever being heard. Filing an answer keeps you in the case and often opens access to mediation. This is the single most time-sensitive deadline in the entire process, and it is the point at which speaking with a New Jersey attorney matters most. Confirm your exact deadline on your own court papers rather than relying on any general figure.
Even if the 35 days have already passed, the situation is recoverable: courts can vacate a default for good cause, and the sooner the motion is made, the more sympathetic it looks. Separately, being in default in the lawsuit does not close the loss mitigation track with your servicer, which runs independently of the court case.
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Educational information, not legal advice. Your own court documents control your deadlines; a licensed New Jersey attorney can confirm what applies to your case.