Answer at Legal Glossary

What is it? A defendants written response to a plaintiffs initial court filing (called a complaint or petition). An answer normally denies some or all facts asserted by the complaint, and sometimes seeks to turn the tables on the plaintiff by making allegations or charges against the plaintiff (called counterclaims). Normally a defendant has 30 days in which to file an answer after being served with the plaintiffs complaint. In some courts, an answer is simply called a response.

Law Definition Added By: Kate

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