Glossary
Answer
The defendant's formal written response to a complaint. The answer admits or denies each allegation, raises any affirmative defenses, and may include counterclaims against the plaintiff.
When you're served with a lawsuit, you have a deadline (usually 20-30 days, depending on the court) to file an answer. Missing that deadline can lead to a default judgment: the plaintiff wins automatically because you didn't show up.
An answer typically goes through the complaint paragraph by paragraph and either admits, denies, or says you don't have enough information to admit or deny. It also lists any affirmative defenses (statute of limitations, for example) that, even if the plaintiff's facts are true, would still defeat the claim.