Rule 7.Pleading Allowed; Form of Motions
Last amended July 1, 1999 · Last verified July 2, 2026
Full Text of Rule 7
Advisory Commission Comments
Advisory Commission Comments [2012].
7.02: Effective July 1, 2012, the Supreme Court adopted Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 10B, governing motions seeking disqualification or recusal of a judge. Section 1 of Rule 10B provides a procedural framework for determining when the judge of a court of record should not preside over the case. In summary, Section 1 provides for the filing of a motion for disqualification or recusal and also provides for the judge's prompt ruling on the motion. Section 2 of Rule 10B governs appeals from the denial of such motions, and it provides that such appeals may be effected either by filing an interlocutory appeal as of right authorized by the rule or by raising the disqualification or recusal issue in an appeal as of right at the conclusion of the case. Under Section 2.01, those two methods of appeal are "the exclusive methods for seeking appellate review of any issue concerning the trial court's ruling on a motion filed pursuant to this Rule." (Emphasis added.) As a result, "neither Tenn. R. App. P. 9 nor Tenn. R. App. P. 10 may be used to seek an interlocutory or extraordinary appeal by permission concerning the judge's ruling on such a motion." Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 10B, Explanatory Comment to Section 2. Attorneys or self-represented litigants should consult Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 10B concerning the procedure for filing motions seeking the disqualification or recusal of a judge and for appealing from a denial of such a motion.
Advisory Commission Comments [2013].
The 2013 Advisory Commission Comment to Tenn. R. Civ. P. 3 provides guidance for determining whether a statutorily authorized "petition" is considered a "complaint" or a "motion" for purposes of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
Amendment History
- Rule 7.01 [As amended by order entered January 26, 1999, effective July 1, 1999.]
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7.01 lists every pleading Tennessee allows: a complaint, an answer, a reply to a counterclaim that is labeled as one, an answer to a cross-claim, a third-party complaint when someone is brought into the case under Rule 14, and a third-party answer. No other pleading is permitted unless the court orders a reply to an answer or a third-party answer, which courts rarely require. The rule cuts off the back-and-forth that older, more permissive pleading systems allowed, closing the pleading stage early so the case can move toward discovery and trial.
Rule 7.02 governs motions separately from pleadings. Except for a motion made during a hearing or trial, an application to the court must be in writing, must state its grounds with particularity, and must set out the relief sought. Tennessee courts read the particularity requirement practically: a motion satisfies it once the trial court and the opposing party understand the grounds well enough to respond, even if the wording is less than precise. The rules governing captions, signatures, and other matters of form that apply to pleadings apply equally to motions.
Rule 7.03 abolishes demurrers, pleas, and exceptions for insufficiency of a pleading — older common-law devices that once let a party challenge a pleading’s legal sufficiency through a separate, freestanding filing. Whatever function those devices served is now performed by a motion or by one of the pleadings Rule 7.01 allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What pleadings can I file in a Tennessee civil case?
Rule 7.01 limits pleadings to a complaint, an answer, a reply to a labeled counterclaim, an answer to a cross-claim, a third-party complaint, and a third-party answer. Nothing else is allowed unless the court specifically orders a further reply.
Does a motion have to be in writing?
Generally yes. Rule 7.02 requires a written motion unless it is made during a hearing or trial, and the motion must state its grounds with particularity and identify the relief sought.
Are demurrers still used in Tennessee?
No. Rule 7.03 abolished demurrers, pleas, and exceptions for insufficiency of a pleading. Their function is now handled by a motion or by one of the pleadings Rule 7.01 authorizes.
Advisory Commission Comments.
7.01: Rule 7.01 adopts the federal practice of cutting off pleadings after complaint and answer, except that a reply or answer by plaintiff is allowed in cases of counterclaim and cross-claim, and a third-party answer is allowed where a third-party complaint is filed.
7.02: Because of the importance of motions in the procedures set out in these Rules, it is desirable that motions, other than those made at a hearing or trial and which may not have been anticipated in time to put them in writing, be made in writing.
7.03: Rule 7.03 is a corollary to the simplification of a pleading provided in Rule 7.01. The function of the demurrer, plea, etc., can be served by one of the pleadings allowed under Rule 7.01 or by motion.