(a) If any pleading is insufficient in substance or form the court may order a fuller or more particular statement. If the pleadings do not sufficiently define the issues the court may order other pleadings prepared.
2-612.Insufficient pleadings.
Article II. Civil Practice · Part 6. Pleading · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceA pleading that reasonably informs the opposing party of the claim or defense is good in substance even if imperfectly drafted, and any defect not objected to at trial is waived.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-612
(b) No pleading is bad in substance which contains such information as reasonably informs the opposite party of the nature of the claim or defense which he or she is called upon to meet.
(c) All defects in pleadings, either in form or substance, not objected to in the trial court are waived.
Plain-English Summary
Section 2-612 gives Illinois pleading practice its forgiving edge. Subsection (a) lets a court order a fuller or more particular statement when a pleading is insufficient in substance or form, or order further pleadings when the issues aren't clearly defined -- tools short of dismissal that let a case get back on track.
Subsection (b) states the substantive floor plainly: no pleading is bad in substance if it contains enough information to reasonably inform the opposing party of the nature of the claim or defense it must meet. That's a functional test, not a technical one, and it's the clearest statement in the Code of how much a pleading has to say.
Subsection (c) is the waiver trap that rewards diligence and punishes delay: any defect in a pleading, whether of form or substance, that isn't objected to in the trial court is waived. A party who sits on an available objection through trial loses the chance to raise it later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a court do about a pleading that's insufficient in substance or form?
Order a fuller or more particular statement, or, if the pleadings don't sufficiently define the issues, order other pleadings to be prepared.
What is the basic test for whether a pleading is good in substance?
Whether it contains information that reasonably informs the opposing party of the nature of the claim or defense it must meet. A pleading that clears that bar is not bad in substance.
What happens to a pleading defect that no one objects to at trial?
It's waived. Subsection (c) treats all unobjected-to defects, whether of form or substance, as waived once the case reaches that point.
Does this section apply only to complaints?
No. It applies to pleadings generally, covering both the sufficiency of a claim or defense and the consequence of failing to object to a defect at trial.
How does 2-612 interact with a motion under 2-615?
A 2-615 motion is exactly how a party raises a pleading's insufficiency before trial. Section 2-612(c) is the backstop: if the objection isn't raised that way and preserved through trial, it's gone.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: insufficient pleading illinoiswaiver of pleading defects illinoisreasonably informs opposing party