Legal Question in Administrative Law in California

Re: Legal Written Response Structure

depends on the type of case, and there may be much more required, but you may start here

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/allforms.htm

Re: Legal Written Response Structure

If you go to the site suggested by Mr. Selik, you'll find blank forms prescribed by the Judicial Council for a wide range of court purposes.

Among the hundreds of forms, the three that are most likely to be useful to you are PLD-050, which is a general denial, PLD-C-010, Answer for contract cases, and PLD-PI-003, an Answer for personal injury claims.

Although the forms are fill-in-the-blanks, rather than examples of completed forms, the instructions and the other information on them will be helpful in figuring out what to enter on each line.

Read and follow the instructions for serving the plaintiff very carefully.

If the Complaint is verified, your Answer must respond to each material allegation individually (by admitting or denying each), and must also be verified.

Note that while responding to a summons and complaint by Answer is most common, in some situations other responses may be used along with or instead of an Answer. These include a demurrer, motions to quash service of process, to change venue, etc. The bottom line is that responding to a lawsuit is lawyer work, and a person thinking of being self-represented should consider the dollar amount of the claim against them, whether the plaintiff is using attorneys, and the complexity of the issues presented in the Complaint or likely to arise during litigation.

More often than not, lawyers do not use the Judicial Council forms to answer a complaint, but instead create an answer that is specific to the Complaint in the case at hand.

Re: Legal Written Response Structure

You can't -- an Answer is a formal court pleading. You can find a general use form Answer at the court clerk's office or on their website.

Re: Legal Written Response Structure

You can't -- an Answer is a formal court pleading. You can find a general use form Answer at the court clerk's office or on their website.