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What Is Affirmative Defense

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1. The defendant(s) have various options. They can contest the lawsuit, negotiate a settlement with the plaintiff, or do nothing at all. If they defendants challenge the lawsuit, they can do son on two bases. They can either contest the facts of the case or challenge the action on some legal basis. 2. If the defendants choose to contest the action, they must act within certain time limitations. If the case is filed in state court, the time limit is fixed by state law. In federal court, under Rule 12, the time in which to respond is normally 21 days unless the defendant waived service under Rule 4. If service was waived, the defendant has 60 days after the request for waiver was sent. In most cases, the time in which to respond can be extended …show more content…

An affirmative defense is a fact or circumstance that defeats the plaintiff’s claim, even if the plaintiff can prove every contention alleged in the complaint. The affirmative defenses must be alleged in the answer or they are generally deemed waived. Whether a matter is an affirmative defense is a question of substantive law. Some matters, such as an expiration of the statute of limitations, operate as affirmative defenses in all kinds of cases. 5. It follows the same general format as the complaint. It contains a caption, body or allegations, prayer or “wherefore” clause, and signature. In some jurisdictions, it is prepared on pleading paper. 6. After the answer is prepared, it must be served on the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney, and it must be filed in court. The procedures followed for accomplishing service and filing depend on whether the answer is subject to electronic filing. If an answer is not filed electronically, then prior to filing the answer with the court the following is done: 1. A copy of the answer is served on plaintiff’s attorney, and 2. A copy of the answer is served on the attorney for any other codefendant who has previously responded to the complaint.  An answer can be served personally, by first-class mail, or by fax

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