For starters, I'm a college girl with just about nothing. No money, no assets. At the age of 17, I was found guilty in Canadian Youth Court of an offence. Now, I am being sued as a result of that offence. The 2 year statute of limitation ran in November of 2012, but I was just served last week. It is possible that the individuals filed the suit prior to November of 2012, but are filing suit now (once they have filed it, they have 6 months to serve me). It may also be the government suing me to recover costs they have incurred (subrogation).

With that said, I now live in the United States with my husband. I realize that does not mean I can avoid this lawsuit. I have already planned two consultations with lawyers in Canada for this week. In the mean while, I thought I would turn to askmehelpdesk as it seems to be a very helpful resource.

Quite frankly, I am worried that this is going to tarnish my entire future. It's the only thing on my mind right now. Any legal advice/words of wisdom?

Correction: It is possible that the individuals filed the suit prior to November of 2012, but are serving the suit now

The process served on you should show exactly when the suit was filed.

And how were you served in the U.S. Who served you?

I would question how the law in Canada provides for service in a foreign country such as the U.S. and whether there was compiance with that law. The reason I mention it is that international litigation such as this is relatively rare. I have never done it, so the first thing I would check is to see if they complied with the rules.