What are acceptable responses to a complaint in a civil case?

Answer 1

A response to a complaint in a civil suit is called an "Answer".

Each state has specific court rules. Look up your state's court rules which govern responding to a civil complaint. Follow the court rules to a 'T." including font size and type, spacing, margins etc. Also check if your local court has additional rules; this varies by county in most states. The last thing you want is to lose on a technicality.

There are big differences between states and between state actions and federal actions. My advice; research, research, research..if you have a law library near you, use it! When a court rules states you SHALL-- it means you SHALL, no exceptions.

You must answer every allegation. You can state Admit, Deny, The allegations contained in paragraph are denied as untrue, the defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations contained in paragraph XXX. You can also admit to a portion of the allegation and deny another if the paragraph contains more than one allegation.

A defendant can also bject to all or just parts of the complaint on various grounds, including:

• The complaint fails to state a cause of action
• The complaint is uncertain or unclear
• Another action is pending between the parties for the same cause of action
• The plaintiff does not have the legal capacity to sue

Good Luck.