- complaint
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com·plaint n1: the initial pleading that starts a lawsuit and that sets forth the allegations made by the plaintiff against the defendant and the plaintiff's demand for relief see also prayer, process, well-pleaded complaint rule compare answer2: a document sworn to by a victim or police officer that sets forth a criminal violation and that serves as the charging instrument by which charges are filed and judicial proceedings commenced against a defendant in a magistrate's court compare declaration, indictment, information3: petition
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- complaint
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I
noun
accusal, accusation, allegation, bill of indictment, case, case for the prosecution, charge, citation, count, crimination, criticism, denouncement, denunciation, expostulation, first pleading, formal allegation, gravamen of a charge, grievance, incrimination, indictment, information, information against, litigation, main charge, objection, particular charge, petition, plaint, plaintiffs initiatory pleading, pleading in a civil action, preferment of charges, prosecution, protest, protestation, querimonia, remonstrance, statement of the plaintiffs cause, substance of a charge
associated concepts: bill of complaint, petition, cross-complaint, verified complaint
II
index
allegation, charge (accusation), claim (legal demand), condemnation (blame), criticism, denunciation, disapprobation, disapproval, disorder (abnormal condition), disparagement, dissatisfaction, exception (objection), grievance, ground, impeachment, incrimination, indictment, outcry, plaint, pleading, protest, reproach
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- complaint
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n.(1) The pleading that begins a civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff sets forth his or her causes of action and demands relief.(2) In criminal law, a charge made before a magistrate that a particular person has committed an offense, in an effort to begin the process of prosecution.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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1. the start of a civil action in a magistrate's court.2. an allegation against another.3. the name of the papers used by the court and served on the accused in Scottish summary criminal proceedings.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- complaint
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Papers filed in court by an injured party to begin a lawsuit by setting out facts and legal claims (usually called causes of action). The person filing the complaint is called the plaintiff and the other party is called the defendant. In some states and in some types of legal actions, such as divorce, complaints are called petitions and the person filing is called the petitioner. The plaintiff's complaint must be served on the defendant, who then has the opportunity to respond by filing an answer. A complaint filing must be accompanied by a filing fee payable to the court clerk, unless the party asks a judge to waive the fee based on inability to pay.Category: Accidents & InjuriesCategory: Representing Yourself in CourtCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- complaint
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n. The initial pleading of a plaintiff in a civil action that identifies the court's jurisdiction, the alleged facts that entitle the plaintiff to relief, and the relief sought.See also ad damnum clause, bill, petition, prayer.@ amended complaintA complaint that substitutes for the original complaint and adds to, corrects, revises, or subtracts from the alleged facts contained in the original complaint.@ criminal complaintA document, signed and sworn to by a victim or witness to a crime or by a police officer, alleging facts that give rise to a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that a person named in the instrument committed that crime. Also called complaint.@ third-party complaintA complaint by the defendant in a civil action against a person or entity who is not a party to the proceeding, to whom the defendant alleges a right of contribution or indemnity from that person, should the defendant be found liable to the plaintiff.See also action.@ well-pleaded complaintA complaint in a civil action that identifies the court's jurisdiction, the alleged facts that entitle the plaintiff to relief, and the relief sought in a manner sufficient for the defendant to respond to the issues contained therein.@
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- complaint
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The pleading that initiates a civil action; in criminal law, the document that sets forth the basis upon which a person is to be charged with an offense.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- complaint
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I
The pleading that initiates a civil action; in criminal law, the document that sets forth the basis upon which a person is to be charged with an offense.II 1. The legal document that usually begins a civil lawsuit. It states the facts and identifies the action the court is asked to take. 2. Formal written charge that a person has committed a criminal offense.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- complaint
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n.the first document filed with the court (actually with the County Clerk or Clerk of the Court) by a person or entity claiming legal rights against another. The party filing the complaint is usually called the plaintiff and the party against whom the complaint is filed is called the defendant or defendants. Complaints are pleadings and must be drafted carefully (usually by an attorney) to properly state the factual as well as legal basis for the claim, although some states have approved complaint forms which can be filled in by an individual. A complaint also must follow statutory requirements as to form. For example, a complaint must be typed on a specific type of paper or on forms approved by the courts, name both the party making the claim and all defendants, and should state what damages or performance is demanded (the prayer). When the complaint is filed, the court clerk will issue a summons, which gives the name and file number of the lawsuit and the address of the attorney filing the complaint, and instructs the defendant that he/she/it has a specific time to file an answer or other response. A copy of the complaint and the summons must be served on a defendant before a response is required. Under a unique statute, New York allows a summons to be served without a complaint. A complaint filing must be accompanied by a filing fee payable to the court clerk, unless a waiver based on poverty is obtained.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
