How to Answer a Lawsuit
An answer is a formal document filed by the defendant(s) with the proper court in which they were initially served a complaint. At Northwest Registered Agent, we offer a variety of free legal forms, from lawsuit answers to corporate bylaws, which you are free to download and use for your business.
Lawsuit Answer Template
The answer will deny or admit the allegations, line-by-line as requested in the complaint. Additionally, the answer is important to bring any defenses the defendant may want to raise such as the claim is beyond the statute of limitations or that there is no claim for which damages is owed.
A defendant may also want to counterclaim, or seek damages for something they feel the plaintiff did wrong. A counterclaim should be filed at the same time as the answer. The answer must be filed within the time period listed on the original summons. If an answer is not filed within a timely manner, the court may issue a default judgment ordering the defendant to pay the damages as requested by the plaintiff. A defendant may want to seek the advice of an attorney before filing an answer to provide the best possible defense.