Is a counterclaim a type of pleading?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. It is a motion
• D. It is a discovery request

Answer: (A)

In civil procedure, pleadings are the formal statements that set out each party’s claims and defenses in a lawsuit. A counterclaim fits this category because it is a formal claim brought by the defendant against the plaintiff in response to the plaintiff’s complaint, typically filed as part of the defendant’s answer (and in some cases as a separate pleading). It asks the court for relief based on a claim arising from the same dispute.

It isn’t a motion, which is a request for the court to rule on a procedural or substantive issue, and it isn’t a discovery request, which seeks information from the other side. So a counterclaim is indeed a type of pleading.