Pleadings

What is Pleadings?

Documents filed by the parties in a civil litigation case that set forth their respective averments of fact and law; this includes the complaint, answer, reply, counterclaim, and amended pleading. Motions and Petitions are not generally considered to be pleadings.

Further Reading

For more detailed information, see our related Civil Procedure terms:

• Responsive Pleading
• Motion for Substitution of Parties
• Relation Back
• Third Party Defendant

Reviewed by

Stephanie Bagnall

Licensed Attorney and Legal Researcher

Stephanie Bagnall is a Georgia-licensed attorney and legal researcher with experience in accessibility law, compliance, employment law, and legal writing. She helps develop and review BarPrepHero's Legal Terms content for clarity, accuracy, and usefulness to bar exam students.

View Stephanie on LinkedIn