statements, in logical and legal form, of the facts that constitute plaintiff's cause of action and defendant's ground of defense. Pleadings are other allegations by the partiesaffirming or denying certain matters of fact, or other statements in support or derogation of certain principles of law, which are intended to describe to the court or jury the real matter in dispute.
AFFIRMATIVE PLEADINGS: any defensive pleadings that affirmatively allege the existence of facts, rather than merely deny the existence of the facts alleged by the plaintiff. For instance, if a plaintiff alleges the nonpayment of a promissory note, the defendant may deny that the note exists, or he may affirmatively plead that the note has been paid.
AMENDED PLEADINGS: pleadings submitted to the court later in time than the original pleadings and which correct the original pleadings or arguments therein, such as by the addition of a cause of action or a defense
CODE PLEADINGS: see code pleading
DEFECTIVE PLEADING: see defective pleading
PLEADINGS IN THE ALTERNATIVE: see alternative pleading
RESPONSIVE PLEADINGS: answers that either admit or deny the allegations contained in the complaint, and thus respond to them, rather than raise grounds upon which the complaint should be dismissed, such as the expiration of the Statute of Limitations.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLEADINGS: pleadings that assert a claim or a defense based upon events occurring after the filing of the original pleading which they supplement.
