In a civil action, which document is the defendant's written response to the complaint?

In a civil action, which document is the defendant's written response to the complaint?

• A. Answer
• B. Motion
• C. Reply
• D. Complaint

Answer: (A)

In civil procedure, the defendant's written response to the plaintiff's complaint is called an Answer. It is the formal pleading where the defendant addresses each allegation—whether admitting, denying, or claiming a lack of knowledge—and may set forth defenses or affirmative defenses. A motion, by contrast, is a request to the court for a ruling or action (like dismissing the case or granting summary judgment) rather than a direct response to the factual allegations. A reply is typically used to respond to the plaintiff’s answer or to a counterclaim in some jurisdictions, not the initial response to the complaint. The complaint is the plaintiff’s starting filing that lays out the claims. So the defendant’s written response to the complaint is the Answer.

In civil procedure, the defendant's written response to the plaintiff's complaint is called an Answer. It is the formal pleading where the defendant addresses each allegation—whether admitting, denying, or claiming a lack of knowledge—and may set forth defenses or affirmative defenses. A motion, by contrast, is a request to the court for a ruling or action (like dismissing the case or granting summary judgment) rather than a direct response to the factual allegations. A reply is typically used to respond to the plaintiff’s answer or to a counterclaim in some jurisdictions, not the initial response to the complaint. The complaint is the plaintiff’s starting filing that lays out the claims. So the defendant’s written response to the complaint is the Answer.