What are pleadings?

Question

Name and describe the pleadings discussed in the text.

Answer 1

Pleadings are documents filed by the plaintiff and the defendant that detail the facts, charges, and defenses involved in the lawsuit. Pleadings typically consist of the following:

The plaintiff's complaintâ€"Called a petition in some courts, this is a document that states the claims the plaintiff is making against the defendant. The complaint also contains a statement regarding the court's jurisdiction over the dispute and a demand for a remedy (such as money damages).
The defendant's answerâ€"The answer is the defendant's response to each allegation in the plaintiff's complaint. A defendant may assert, in the answer, a reason why he or she should not be held liable for the plaintiff's injuries even if the facts, as alleged by the plaintiff, are true. This is called raising an affirmative defense. The defendant may also assert, in the answer, one of more counterclaims.
The counterclaim or cross-claimâ€"A counterclaim is like a reverse lawsuit in
which the defendant asserts a claim against the plaintiff for injuries that the defendant suffered from the same incident. The plaintiff is required to reply to any counterclaims made by the defendant. A cross-claim is asserted by a defendant in a civil lawsuit against another defendant or by a plaintiff against another plaintiff.