Editing Pleading (section)

==Examples==

Under the [[Federal Rules of Civil Procedure]] a ''[[complaint]]'' is the first pleading in American law filed by a [[plaintiff]] which initiates a lawsuit.<ref>[[Federal Rules of Civil Procedure|F. R. Civ. P.]] 3</ref> A complaint sets forth the relevant [[allegations of fact]] that give rise to one or more legal [[causes of action]] along with a [[prayer for relief]] and sometimes a statement of damages claimed (an [[ad quod damnum]] clause).  In some situations, a complaint is called a ''petition'', in which case the party filing it is called the [[petitioner]] and the other party is the [[respondent]].  In equity, sometimes called chancery, the initial pleading may be called either a ''petition'' or a ''bill of complaint in chancery''.

In England and Wales, the first pleading is a Claim Form, issued under either Part 7 or Part 8 of the Civil Procedure Rules, which sets out the nature of the action and the relief sought, and may give brief particulars of the claim. The Claimant also has the option, under Practice Direction 7A.61 to serve Particulars of Claim (a document setting out the allegations which found the cause of action) within 14 days of the issue of the Claim Form.

When used in civil proceedings in England and Wales, the term "complaint" refers to the mechanism by which civil proceedings are instituted in the magistrates' court <ref>s.51 Magistrates Court Act 1980</ref> and may be either written or oral.

A ''[[demurrer]]'' is a pleading (usually filed by a [[defendant]]) which objects to the legal sufficiency of the opponent's pleading (usually a complaint) and demands that the court rule immediately about whether the pleading is legally adequate before the party must plead on the merits in response. Since the demurrer procedure required an immediate ruling as does a motion, many common law jurisdictions therefore narrowed the concept of pleadings to be framing the issues in a case. Pleadings are not motions in and of themselves, and courts replaced the demurrer mechanism with the motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action or the application to strike out particulars of claim.

An ''[[answer (law)|answer]]'' is a pleading filed by a defendant which admits or denies the specific allegations set forth in a complaint and constitutes a [[general appearance]] by a defendant. In England and Wales, the equivalent pleading is called a Defence.<ref>Civil Procedure Rules, 15.2</ref>

A [[defendant]] may also file a [[cross-complaint]] against another defendant named by the plaintiff and may also file a ''third-party complaint'' bring other parties into a case by the process of [[impleader]].

A [[defendant]] may file a ''counter-claim'' to raise a cause of action to defend, reduce or set off the claim of the [[plaintiff]].