I received a summon for outstanding debt of around $8k, and it needs to be answered withing a fortnight or so. However, I have all the documents ready and plan on filing a bankruptcy by then. Do I need to answer the summons or wait for the bankruptcy to take its course?
Well, you're supposed to answer since it's a court summons.
How sure are you that your bankruptcy filing will be done within that time period?
If you're planning to include that creditor and debt amount and you're positive that the Bankruptcy filing will be done by then, you can choose not to answer the summons. Consult with your bankruptcy attorney about this though.