The answer shall comply with Articles 853, 854, and 863 and, whenever applicable, with Articles 855 through 861. It shall admit or deny the allegations of the petition as required by Article 1004, state in short and concise terms the material facts upon which the defenses to the action asserted are based, and shall set forth all affirmative defenses as required by Article 1005. It shall also contain a prayer for the relief sought. Relief may be prayed for in the alternative.
Art. 1003.Form of Answer
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title I. Pleading · Chapter 5. Answer · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1003 defines what a Louisiana answer must contain — compliance with the Code's general pleading, caption, and signing rules, admissions and denials that meet Article 1004's standard, a concise statement of the facts behind each defense, every affirmative defense Article 1005 requires, and a prayer for relief that may be stated in the alternative.
Full Text of Art. 1003
Plain-English Summary
An answer is not a free-form response to a lawsuit. Article 1003 ties it to the same rules that govern every pleading in the Code: the caption requirements of Article 853, the general form requirements of Article 854 — simple, concise, direct allegations set out in numbered paragraphs — and the signing and certification requirements of Article 863. A defendant drafting an answer works within the same structural framework as a plaintiff drafting a petition.
Where the answer touches on certain special subjects, Article 1003 pulls in a further set of rules, Articles 855 through 861, whenever they apply. Those articles cover matters like pleading a party's capacity to sue or be sued, alleging fraud or mistake with particularity, addressing suspensive conditions, referencing an official document or a prior judgment, and claiming special damages. An answer that raises any of these subjects has to meet the same pleading standard a petition would.
Beyond form, Article 1003 sets the substantive checklist for content. The answer must admit or deny the petition's allegations the way Article 1004 requires, state in short and concise terms the material facts behind whatever defenses the defendant asserts, and set out every affirmative defense Article 1005 calls for. None of this can be vague gesturing at a defense — the article calls for the material facts a defendant is relying on, stated concisely.
Finally, the answer needs a prayer for relief — a statement of what the defendant wants the court to do, whether that is dismissal of the suit or some other outcome. Article 1003 allows that relief to be requested in the alternative, so a defendant is not forced to commit to a single outcome before the case is fully developed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What other Code articles govern the form of a Louisiana answer?
Does an answer need to be signed and certified the same way as a petition?
Yes. Article 1003 requires an answer to comply with Article 863, which carries the same signature and certification obligations that apply to every pleading in the case.
How much detail does an answer need to give about a defendant's defenses?
Article 1003 requires the answer to state the material facts underlying each defense in short and concise terms, and to set out every affirmative defense Article 1005 requires — not just a bare denial without any explanation.
Can a defendant ask for more than one kind of relief in an answer?
Yes. Article 1003 lets a defendant pray for relief in the alternative, so the answer can request different outcomes without forcing an early choice between them.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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