How to find out if you are being sued in the U.S.
General information only: this guide has not been reviewed by a licensed attorney and does not tell you what to do in your own case.
Editorial review: . Official sources cited. Text updated: .
Juricio is not an official court website and is not affiliated with the U.S. Courts or PACER. This guide is general information, not legal advice: for a decision about a case, talk to a licensed attorney, and confirm each detail in the official sources cited below.
In a federal court, a civil lawsuit starts when the plaintiff files a complaint with the court and serves a copy of it on the defendant. So the usual way to learn that you are being sued is to receive those papers. You can also look for your name in court records, and you should be wary of calls or e-mails that claim there is a lawsuit and ask for money.
How can you check federal court records for your name?
Search the PACER Case Locator by party name: it covers the federal district, bankruptcy and appellate courts, and newly filed cases typically appear in it within 24 hours. It needs a PACER account, and each page of results costs $0.10. You can also view case files for free on the public access terminals at the courthouse. See How to search PACER by party name.
What about state courts?
They are not in PACER. Each state has its own court system, and state courts hear most contract, personal-injury and family cases: their records are kept by the state courts themselves.
What if someone calls or e-mails about a lawsuit?
Be careful. The federal judiciary warns that scammers pose as court officials, and that federal courts never use a phone call or an e-mail to ask for personal or financial information, or to threaten people who do not comply. If you are unsure, contact the clerk's office of the court yourself; a scam can be reported to the clerk's office, to the U.S. Marshals Service or to the Federal Trade Commission.
What if you find a case with your name?
A name in a case does not confirm that the case is about you. If it is, the papers and the court's rules set what happens next and by when: talk to a licensed attorney about your situation.
Juricio search results, alerts and AI answers are not consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and must not be used to decide on anyone's employment, housing, credit or insurance: those decisions go through a dedicated FCRA-compliant screening service.
Questions
How does a federal lawsuit start?
The plaintiff files a complaint with the court and serves a copy of it on the defendant.
Can I search PACER for my own name?
Yes. With a PACER account you can search the PACER Case Locator by party name. It covers federal courts only, and each page of results costs $0.10.
Do federal courts call or e-mail to ask for payment?
The federal judiciary says federal courts never use a phone call or an e-mail to request personal or financial information, or to threaten people who do not comply.
Sources
- United States Courts: Civil Cases: how a federal civil lawsuit begins: the complaint and its service on the defendant (consulted October 22, 2026).
- PACER: Search by National Index (PACER Case Locator): the nationwide index of federal cases (consulted October 22, 2026).
- PACER: Find a Case FAQs: what the PACER Case Locator covers and when new cases appear in it (consulted October 22, 2026).
- United States Courts: Find a Case (PACER): public access terminals at the courthouse (consulted October 22, 2026).
- PACER Pricing: How fees work: the fee for search results (consulted October 22, 2026).
- United States Courts: Comparing Federal & State Courts: state court systems and the cases they hear (consulted October 22, 2026).
- United States Courts: Federal Court Scams: how federal courts do and do not contact people, and where to report a scam (consulted October 22, 2026).