Complaint

A complaint is a document filed with a court to initiate a lawsuit. It sets out the factual and legal basis for the plaintiff’s claim(a), as well as the relief that the plaintiff (the party bringing the lawsuit) is seeking. The complaint is typically the first document filed in a case, and it is served on the defendant (the party being sued) along with a summons, which informs the defendant that a lawsuit has been filed against them and that they are required to appear in court to answer the complaint. The complaint must be specific enough to give the defendant notice of what they are being sued for and to allow the court to determine the issues in the case. A complaint includes one or more count(s).