What is an answer?

An answer is a written response to a lawsuit. In Virginia’s civil procedure, an answer is a document filed by the defendant in an action and is the defendant’s response to the plaintiff’s allegations. It is usually filed with the court before any discovery is conducted, and typically contains the defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s allegations, as well as any affirmative defenses that the defendant has that he or she wishes to raise. Additionally, the answer might contain any other matters that the defendant wishes to bring to the court’s attention, such as counterclaims or cross-claims. An answer must be filed within a certain time period after service of process. If the defendant does not file an answer in the allotted time, the plaintiff may seek a default judgement against the defendant.

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