GD9 CTW fileÒ Legal 02, Õ The intent of a civil suit is to pay an injured party for a loss. The civil suit commences with the serving of a summons and a complaint on the defendant. In a civil suit, the complaint is the first of many required legal papers. These papers, in which the facts of the case are presented, are called pleadings. Pleadings must be set up to conform exactly to the specific guidelines of state statutes and of individual jurisdictions. The original copy of each pleading is filed in court. Each pleading is organized by the court clerk for public reference. The defendant's attorney is also served a copy of each pleading. The attorney for the defendant files an answer to the statements listed in the complaint. When a summons is served without a complaint, the defendant's attorney files a notice of appearance as the response. A counterclaim is a response that claims damages inflicted by the plaintiff on the defendant, and it may also be filed by the defense. The attorney for the plaintiff files a reply to deny the facts of the counterclaim. After the first pleading, the complaint is verified. The legal proceedings that occur before, during, and after civil cases may include many variations. The party that requests a trial in court must serve a notice of trial on the opposing lawyer. A judge, or a judge and jury, will hear both parties and their witnesses in court, and the appropriate jurisdiction will be determined. Alternatively, some cases may be settled out of court.