Introduction

A. Generally

The purpose of pleadings under the Federal Rules is to give each party sufficient notice about a lawsuit. Under the Federal Rules, pleading the facts that serve as the basis for the complaint are not needed; a claimant’s verified impression of a fact will suffice.

B. Pleading Stages

There are three pleading stages under the Federal Rules:

1.Complaint
Informs the defendant of the charges against him.

2.Answer
Alerts the plaintiff to the allegations in the complaint the defendant will contest, as well as any existing counterclaims and affirmative defenses.

3.Reply
In the event of a counterclaim, serves the same function as the answer to the complaint.