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Courts and procedure

Complaint

The written statement a plaintiff files to start a civil case, saying why the court has jurisdiction, what the defendant allegedly did wrong, and what the plaintiff wants.[1]

In more detail

Family cases often start with a petition instead.[1] In Florida, applications for voluntary binding arbitration are filed and handled by the clerk like complaints starting civil actions.[2]

Varies by state

This is the federal courts' definition; state courts use the word the same way, though procedures differ by state. Find your state’s rules.

Related terms

  • AnswerThe defendant's formal written response to a complaint, setting out the grounds for their defense.
  • PlaintiffThe person or organization that files a civil lawsuit.
  • PetitionerThe person who starts a court case by filing a petition, such as a petition for divorce.
  • Service of processFormally delivering court papers, such as a summons and complaint or petition, to the person they are directed to.

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Sources

The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.

  1. Glossary of Legal Termsuscourts.govchecked ↩
  2. Fla. Stat. § 44.104 (Voluntary binding arbitration and voluntary trial resolution)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩

General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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MediationList. (2026, October 28). Complaint: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/complaint/

APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.