A cross-complainant must serve a copy of the complaint or, if it has been amended, the most recently amended complaint and any answers thereto on cross-defendants who have not previously appeared.
Rule 3.222.Papers to be served on cross-defendants
Division 3. Filing and Service · Chapter 3. Papers to Be Served · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.222 requires a cross-complainant to serve a copy of the operative complaint, along with any answers already filed, on every cross-defendant who has not yet appeared in the case, so new parties see the full picture rather than just the cross-complaint.
Full Text of Rule 3.222
Plain-English Summary
A cross-complaint rarely tells the whole story on its own. Rule 3.222 makes sure a person newly pulled into a lawsuit as a cross-defendant sees more than the cross-complaint against them — the cross-complainant must also serve a copy of the complaint that started the case, or the most recently amended version of it, and any answers filed in response. Without that context, a new cross-defendant would have no easy way to understand who is suing whom, over what, and who has already responded.
The obligation applies only to cross-defendants who have not already appeared in the action. A party already in the case, and presumably already tracking the pleadings, does not need the same package resent to them under this rule when a new cross-complaint names them again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What papers must a cross-complainant serve on a new cross-defendant?
Under Rule 3.222, the cross-complainant must serve the complaint — or the latest amended complaint, if there is one — along with any answers that have been filed, in addition to the cross-complaint itself.
Does this rule apply to a cross-defendant who is already a party to the case?
No. Rule 3.222 applies only to cross-defendants who have not previously appeared in the action.
Why does a cross-defendant need a copy of the original complaint?
A cross-complaint alone does not show the full dispute. Serving the complaint and existing answers gives a newly named cross-defendant the background needed to understand the case they have been brought into.
Amendment History
Rule 3.222 amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; adopted as rule 202 effective January 1, 1985; previously amended effective January 1, 2003.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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