In a civil action, who is typically served with the summons?

• A. The plaintiff
• B. The defendant
• C. A third party to assist service
• D. The defendant, and in some cases, an attorney of record or a corporation's designated agent

Answer: (D)

When a civil action starts, the summons is the formal notice that someone must respond to the lawsuit. The recipient should be the person who is required to answer—the defendant. If the defendant is a corporation or similar entity, service can also be on someone authorized to receive process for that entity, such as the attorney of record or the corporation’s designated agent (often the registered agent). This rule ensures those who must answer actually receive notice. The plaintiff does not receive the summons to initiate the action, and a third party simply assisting with service isn’t the standard recipient. So the correct idea is to serve the defendant, and in applicable cases, the attorney of record or the corporation’s designated agent.