The forms of pleading in civil actions, and the rules by which the sufficiency of the pleadings is to be determined, are those prescribed in this Code.
§ 421.Generally
Title 6. Of the Pleadings In Civil Actions · Chapter 1. The Pleadings in General · Enacted 1872 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 421 states that both the forms pleadings must take and the standards used to judge whether a pleading is sufficient come from the Code of Civil Procedure itself, not from common-law pleading practice.
Full Text of § 421
Plain-English Summary
Section 421 makes a point that is easy to miss: California pleading practice runs entirely on the Code. The forms a complaint or answer may take, and the yardstick courts use to decide whether a pleading measures up, are those the Code prescribes.
That break from common-law pleading forms is why California abolished the old writ system and its rigid forms of action (see § 422.10 and § 428.80, which abolishes the counterclaim). A litigant does not need to fit a claim into a historical mold; the Code's own forms and sufficiency standards govern instead.
Read together with § 420's definition of a pleading, § 421 tells you where to look when a question comes up about whether a pleading is properly formed: the Code, not outside common-law tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does California still follow common-law forms of pleading?
No. Section 421 states that the forms of pleading and the standards for judging their sufficiency are those prescribed in the Code of Civil Procedure, not the older common-law forms.
Where do I find the rules for whether my complaint is properly pleaded?
Amendment History
Enacted 1872.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: california pleading forms codesufficiency of pleadings california