Filing with clerk must be done within how many days of delivery or mailing (whichever is done last)?

• A. 20 days
• B. 15 days
• C. 30 days
• D. 10 days

Answer: (A)

The timing hinges on when service is considered complete. If service is done by delivery or by mailing, you start counting from the later of those two dates—that way the recipient has the full opportunity to receive notice, regardless of the method used. From that later date, you have twenty days to file with the clerk. This twenty-day window is the correct period because it ensures a consistent, fair minimum response time after actual service. Shorter periods (like ten or fifteen days) or a longer window (thirty days) don’t align with the rule that the clock begins on the last method of service, making twenty days the proper cutoff. If the end falls on a weekend or holiday, apply the usual deadline rules in your jurisdiction.