what is the difference between a subpoena and a summons in ca
A summons is a document that accompanies a complaint at the start of a legal case. It is the document that brings the defendant into the court's jurisdiction. It must be served with the complaint and advises the defendant of his or her obligation to respond to the complaint. A subpoena is not used to start a case. It is used to get somebody to testify as a witness or to produce documents in an existing case. A subpoena is usually not needed to get a party to the case to testify or produce documents, because they are already in the case after having been served a summons and complaint. In both cases, there are rules that tell you how you must deliver the document to make it effective.