Rule 24.Contents of Pleadings

Part II. Pleadings and Motions · Last amended January 1, 2019 · Last verified September 4, 2026

In one sentenceRule 24 states what a petition and a response must contain, and requires pleadings to be read so as to do substantial justice.

Full Text of Rule 24

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) Petition. A petition must contain:

(1) a simple statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction, unless the court already has exercised its jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional proof to support it;

(2) a simple statement of a claim that shows the petitioner is entitled to relief; and

(3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include relief in the alternative or different types of relief.

(b) Response.

(1) Generally. In responding to a pleading, a party must:

(A) admit or deny the allegations asserted against the party by an opposing party; and

(B) state in simple terms its defenses to each claim asserted against the party.

(2) Denials--Responding to the Substance. A denial must respond to the substance of the allegation. It also must include any statement of fact on which the party relies that differs from the opposing party's allegations.

(3) Denying Part of an Allegation. Any party who intends in good faith to deny only part of an allegation must admit the part that is true and deny the rest.

(4) Lacking Knowledge or Information. A party who lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of an allegation must so state, and the statement has the effect of a denial.

(5) Asserting Claims. The response may include claims for relief.

(6) Effect of a Response. Except as provided in Rule 29(g), the filing of a response has the effect of placing at issue any matter in the petition not specifically admitted.

(c) Alternative Statements; Inconsistency. A party may set out two or more statements of a claim or defense hypothetically or alternatively. If a party makes alternative statements, the pleading is sufficient if any one of them is sufficient. A party may state as many separate claims or defenses as the party has, regardless of consistency.

(d) Construing Pleadings. Pleadings must be construed so as to do substantial justice.

End

Rule History

Added Aug. 30, 2018, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 24 is Arizona's notice-pleading standard for family court. It is short, and the standard it sets is deliberately low.

The petition

Three things: a simple statement of the grounds for jurisdiction, a simple statement of a claim showing the petitioner is entitled to relief, and a demand for the relief sought. The demand may ask for relief in the alternative or for different types of relief. The jurisdictional statement can be skipped where the court has already exercised jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional proof -- which is why post-decree petitions in an existing case do not re-plead it.

The response

A responding party must admit or deny the allegations and state its defenses in simple terms. Four refinements follow:

A denial must respond to the substance of the allegation, and must include any different statement of fact the party relies on. A bare denial that ignores what was actually alleged does not comply.
A party denying part of an allegation in good faith must admit the part that is true.
A party who lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief must say so, and that statement has the effect of a denial.
A response may include claims for relief of its own.

What filing a response does

Except as Rule 29(g) provides, filing a response places at issue any matter in the petition not specifically admitted. The default is contest, not concession.

Alternative and inconsistent pleading

A party may plead claims or defenses hypothetically or in the alternative, and may state as many separate claims or defenses as it has regardless of consistency. If a party pleads alternatives, the pleading is sufficient if any one of them is sufficient. Section (d) closes with the instruction that governs the reading of all of it: pleadings must be construed so as to do substantial justice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much detail does a family law petition need?

Rule 24(a) asks for a simple statement of the grounds for jurisdiction, a simple statement of a claim showing entitlement to relief, and a demand for the relief sought. It is a notice standard, not a fact-pleading standard.

Is a one-word denial enough?

No. Rule 24(b)(2) requires a denial to respond to the substance of the allegation and to include any statement of fact the party relies on that differs from what was alleged.

What if I genuinely do not know whether an allegation is true?

Rule 24(b)(4) requires the party to state that it lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of the allegation. That statement has the effect of a denial.

If I do not mention something in my response, have I admitted it?

The opposite. Rule 24(b)(6) says that except as provided in Rule 29(g), filing a response places at issue any matter in the petition that is not specifically admitted.

Can I plead two things that contradict each other?

Yes. Rule 24(c) allows a party to state as many separate claims or defenses as it has, regardless of consistency, and to plead hypothetically or in the alternative. The pleading is sufficient if any one alternative is sufficient.

Source & verification. Rule text and Rule History reproduced verbatim from the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure as published by the Arizona Supreme Court, current through amendments effective January 1, 2026. Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Arizona (Ariz. Const. art. 6, § 5). Last verified September 4, 2026. · Official text

Also known as: contents of pleadingsnotice pleadingdenialsadmissionsalternative pleadingsubstantial justicewhat a petition must say