Group III: Pleadings and Motions · Last amended March 1, 2019 · Last verified July 14, 2026
(a) Claim for Relief. A pleading that states a claim for relief must contain:
(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court’s jurisdiction, unless the court already has jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional support;
(2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief;
(3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include relief in the alternative or different types of relief; and
(4) if the pleader seeks more than $15,000 in monetary damages, the demand for relief may request damages “in excess of $15,000” without further specification of the amount.
(b) Defenses; Admissions and Denials.
(1) In General. In responding to a pleading, a party must:
(A) state in short and plain terms its defenses to each claim asserted against it; and
(B) admit or deny the allegations asserted against it by an opposing party.
(2) Denials—Responding to the Substance. A denial must fairly respond to the substance of the allegation.
(3) General and Specific Denials. A party that intends in good faith to deny all the allegations of a pleading—including the jurisdictional grounds—may do so by a general denial. A party that does not intend to deny all the allegations must either specifically deny designated allegations or generally deny all except those specifically admitted.
(4) Denying Part of an Allegation. A party that intends in good faith to deny only part of an allegation must admit the part that is true and deny the rest.
(5) Lacking Knowledge or Information. A party that lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of an allegation must so state, and the statement has the effect of a denial.
(6) Effect of Failing to Deny. An allegation—other than one relating to the amount of damages—is admitted if a responsive pleading is required and the allegation is not denied. If a responsive pleading is not required, an allegation is considered denied or avoided.
(c) Affirmative Defenses.
(1) In General. In responding to a pleading, a party must affirmatively state any avoidance or affirmative defense, including:
(A) accord and satisfaction;
(B) arbitration and award;
(C) assumption of risk;
(D) contributory negligence;
(E) discharge in bankruptcy;
(F) duress;
(G) estoppel;
(H) failure of consideration;
(I) fraud;
(J) illegality;
(K) injury by fellow servant;
(L) laches;
(M) license;
(N) payment;
(O) release;
(P) res judicata;
(Q) statute of frauds;
(R) statute of limitations; and
(S) waiver.
(2) Mistaken Designation. If a party mistakenly designates a defense as a counterclaim, or a counterclaim as a defense, the court must, if justice requires, treat the pleading as though it were correctly designated, and may impose terms for doing so.
(d) Pleading to Be Concise and Direct; Alternative Statements; Inconsistency.
(1) In General. Each allegation must be simple, concise, and direct. No technical form is required.
(2) Alternative Statements of a Claim or Defense. A party may set out two or more statements of a claim or defense alternatively or hypothetically, either in a single count or defense or in separate ones. If a party makes alternative statements, the pleading is sufficient if any one of them is sufficient.
(3) Inconsistent Claims or Defenses. A party may state as many separate claims or defenses as it has, regardless of consistency.
(e) Construing Pleadings. Pleadings must be construed so as to do justice.
Amended eff. 9-27-71; Amended eff. 1-1-05; Amended 11-28-2016, eff. 1-27-2017; Amended eff. 3-1-19.
A complaint under Rule 8 needs three things: a short and plain statement establishing why the court can hear the case, a short and plain statement of the claim showing the pleader is entitled to relief, and a demand for the relief wanted, which can include alternative or different kinds of relief. Nevada adds its own twist — if a plaintiff wants more than $15,000 in damages, the complaint can ask for damages "in excess of $15,000" instead of naming a precise dollar amount.
On the response side, a party answering a pleading must state its defenses in short, plain terms and admit or deny each allegation. A denial has to respond to the substance of what is alleged, and a party can deny everything with a general denial only if it intends in good faith to dispute the whole pleading; otherwise it must admit what is true and deny the rest, allegation by allegation. Lacking enough knowledge to agree or disagree has the same effect as a denial. Skip a required denial and the allegation is treated as admitted — except the amount of damages claimed, which is never deemed admitted by silence.
Rule 8(c) lists affirmative defenses — such as statute of limitations, waiver, estoppel, fraud, and discharge in bankruptcy — that a responding party must raise itself or risk losing them. If a party mislabels a defense as a counterclaim or the reverse, the court corrects the label when justice calls for it rather than punishing the mistake. Beyond these specifics, pleadings need no technical form: allegations should be simple and direct, parties can plead alternative or even inconsistent claims and defenses, and courts must read pleadings in a way that serves justice rather than trips people up on wording.