(a) Claims for Relief. A pleading which sets forth a claim for a relief whether an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or a third-party claim, shall contain: (1) If the court is of limited jurisdiction, a short and plain statement of the grounds upon which the court's jurisdiction depends; (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief; and (3) a demand for judgment for the relief to which the pleader claims to be entitled. No dollar amount shall be stated in the prayer or demand for relief. Relief in the alternative or of several different types may be demanded. Each pleading containing an initial claim for relief in a civil action, other than a domestic relations, probate, water, juvenile, or mental health action, shall be accompanied by a completed Civil Cover Sheet in the form and content of Appendix to Chapters 1 to 17A, Form 1.2 (JDF 601), at the time of filing. Failure to file the cover sheet shall not be considered a jurisdictional defect in the pleading but may result in a clerk's show cause order requiring its filing.
Rule 8.General Rules of Pleading
Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026
In one sentenceRule 8 sets the content requirements for every claim and defense in a Colorado pleading — a short, plain statement of the claim, no dollar amount in the demand for relief, and a list of defenses that must be raised affirmatively or they are lost.
Full Text of Rule 8
(b) Defenses; Form of Denials. A party shall state in short and plain terms his defenses to each claim asserted and shall admit or deny the averments of the adverse party. If he is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of an averment, he shall so state and this has the effect of a denial. Denials shall fairly meet the substance of the averments denied. When a pleader intends in good faith to deny only a part or a qualification of an averment, he shall specify so much of it as is true and material and shall deny only the remainder. Unless the pleader intends in good faith to controvert all the averments of the preceding pleading, he may make his denials as specific denials of designated averments or paragraphs, or he may generally deny all the averments except such designated averments or paragraphs as he expressly admits; but, when he does so intend to controvert all its averments, including averments of the grounds upon which the court's jurisdiction depends, he may do so by general denial subject to the obligations set forth in Rule 11.
(c) Affirmative Defenses and Mitigating Circumstances. In pleading to a preceding pleading, a party shall set forth affirmatively accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fraud, illegality, injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment, release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of limitations, waiver, and any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense. Any mitigating circumstances to reduce the amount of damage shall be affirmatively pleaded. When a party has mistakenly designated a defense as a counterclaim or a counterclaim as a defense, the court on terms, if justice so requires, shall treat the pleading as if there had been a proper designation.
(d) Effect of Failure to Deny. Averments in a pleading to which a responsive pleading is required, other than those as to the amount of damage, are admitted when not denied in the responsive pleading. Averments in a pleading to which no responsive pleading is required shall be taken as denied or avoided. Averments in a pleading to which a responsive pleading is permitted but not required shall be taken as denied or avoided if no responsive pleading is filed.
(e) Pleading to be Concise and Direct; Consistency.
(1) Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. When a pleader is without direct knowledge, allegations may be made upon information and belief. No technical forms of pleading or motions are required. Pleadings otherwise meeting the requirements of these rules shall not be considered objectionable for failure to state ultimate facts as distinguished from conclusions of law.
(2) A party may set forth two or more statements of a claim or defense alternately or hypothetically, either in one count or defense or in separate counts or defenses. When two or more statements are made in the alternative and one of them if made independently would be sufficient, the pleading is not made insufficient by the insufficiency of one or more of the alternative statements. A party may also state as many separate claims or defenses as he has regardless of consistency and whether based on legal or on equitable grounds or on both. All statements shall be made subject to the obligations set forth in Rule 11.
(f) Construction of Pleadings. All pleadings shall be so construed as to do substantial justice.
Amendment History
Amended effective January 1, 1987. Amended November 6, 2003, effective July 1, 2004; June 10, 2004, effective July 1, 2004. Amended effective March 5, 2020.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 8 tells a party what a pleading must contain. A claim for relief needs a short, plain statement showing the pleader is entitled to relief and a demand for judgment — but Colorado does not allow a specific dollar amount in that demand; a party may ask for alternative or multiple types of relief instead. Most initial claims also require a completed civil cover sheet (JDF 601), though forgetting it does not sink the pleading — it can trigger a clerk's order to file one.
On the defense side, a party must admit or deny each averment, and a claim of insufficient knowledge counts as a denial. Denials have to meet the substance of what is being denied, and a party can either deny specific paragraphs or issue a general denial covering everything not expressly admitted. Rule 8(c) lists defenses — among them accord and satisfaction, contributory negligence, fraud, release, statute of limitations, and waiver — that must be raised affirmatively in a responsive pleading, or a party risks losing the chance to raise them later. Anything left undenied in a required response is treated as admitted, except the amount of damages, which is never deemed admitted merely because it went unanswered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I state a specific dollar amount in my Colorado complaint?
No — Rule 8(a) bars stating a dollar amount in the prayer or demand for relief, though you may still demand alternative or multiple types of relief.
What happens if I forget the civil cover sheet?
Rule 8(a) says a missing civil cover sheet is not a jurisdictional defect, but the clerk may issue a show-cause order requiring you to file one.
What defenses must I raise affirmatively in my answer?
Rule 8(c) lists defenses such as accord and satisfaction, contributory negligence, duress, estoppel, fraud, release, statute of limitations, and waiver that a party must plead affirmatively or risk losing them.
What if I do not respond to an allegation in the complaint?
Under Rule 8(d), most unanswered averments in a pleading requiring a response are treated as admitted, though an unanswered claim about the amount of damages is not.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 8). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Colorado (C.R.S. § 13-2-108; Colo. Const. art. VI). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 10, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: how to write a complaint in Coloradoaffirmative defenses list Coloradocivil cover sheet JDF 601general denial in an answerno dollar amount demand for reliefshort and plain statement of claim