Civil Lawsuit Basics: How to File & Respond to a Complaint

Topics:
  • Training (non-CLE)
  • General

Provides basic information on how to prepare and respond to complaints in civil lawsuits in California courts.

A civil lawsuit starts with the filing and service of a written complaint. The complaint serves many purposes, including the identification of the parties involved in the lawsuit, the plaintiff's reason for filing a lawsuit, and the type of relief that is sought. The defendant must then respond to the complaint by filing an answer or another type of response. The complaint and the defendant's responses are called pleadings, and they set the stage for all that comes afterward in the lawsuit. In this class, learn how to prepare, file, serve and respond to civil case pleadings in California state courts.

Class covers:
• Is filing a lawsuit a good idea?
• Identifying possible legal theories
• Drafting the complaint
• Service of summons and complaint
• Answers and other responsive pleadings

Presented by:
LA Law Library (http://www.lalawlibrary.org/)

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.