When should you file a motion for more definite statement?

• A. Before filing your responsive pleading
• B. After discovery
• C. After a summary judgment
• D. After a final judgment

Answer: (A)

A motion for a more definite statement is used when the complaint is so vague or ambiguous that you cannot reasonably prepare a responsive pleading. The remedy is to have the court require the plaintiff to clarify or amend the pleading before you draft an answer. Because you need that clarity to respond properly, you file the motion before serving any responsive pleading. If the court grants it, the plaintiff must amend the pleading; if not, you proceed to respond as usual. Waiting until after discovery, or after a summary judgment or final judgment, would miss the point of the tool—it's meant to correct pleading deficiencies early in the case, not to salvage or overhaul issues later.