(a) Claims for relief. A pleading which sets forth a claim for relief, whether an original claim, counterclaim, cross claim, or third party claim, shall contain (1) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief and (2) a demand for judgment for the relief to which the pleader deems the pleader is entitled. Relief in the alternative or of several different types may be demanded.
Rule 8.General rules of pleading
Group 3: Pleadings and Motions · Last amended April 28, 2015 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 8 sets the general standard for pleadings in Washington — a short and plain statement of the claim and the relief sought, plain rules for admitting or denying allegations, a required list of affirmative defenses, and a mandate that pleadings be construed to do substantial justice.
Full Text of Rule 8
(b) Defenses; form of denials. A party shall state in short and plain terms the defenses to each claim asserted and shall admit or deny the averments upon which the adverse party relies. If a party is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of an averment, the party 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, the pleader 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, the pleader may make his denials as specific denials of designated averments or paragraphs, or the pleader may generally deny all the averments except such designated averments or paragraphs as the pleader expressly admits; but, when the pleader does so intend to controvert all its averments, the pleader may do so by general denial subject to the obligations set forth in rule 11.
(c) Affirmative defenses. In pleading to a preceding pleading, a party shall set forth affirmatively accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, discharge in bankruptcy, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fault of a non-party, fraud, illegality, injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment, release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of limitation, waiver, and any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense. 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 or permitted shall be taken as denied or avoided.
(e) Pleading to be concise and direct; consistency.
(1) Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleadings or motions are required.
(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 the party 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.
The adoption of this rule shall not be considered an adoption or approval of the forms of pleading in the Appendix of Forms approved in rule 84, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Amendment History
Prior: RPPP Rule 8. Adopted May 5, 1967, effective July 1, 1967; amended, adopted Sept. 10, 1992, effective Sept. 18, 1992; amended, effective April 28, 2015.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 8 is the foundation for how claims and defenses get stated. A claim for relief needs only a short, plain statement showing the pleader is entitled to relief, plus a demand for judgment — and a party can demand alternative or multiple types of relief in the same pleading. On the other side, a party responding to a claim must admit or deny each allegation. Claiming no knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief counts as a denial. A party can deny everything with a general denial, or admit some allegations while denying the rest specifically — but a party denying only part of an allegation must specify what is true and deny only what remains.
Certain defenses can't be raised as an afterthought — they have to be pleaded affirmatively. Rule 8(c) lists them by name: accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, discharge in bankruptcy, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fault of a non-party, fraud, illegality, injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment, release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of limitation, waiver, and any other matter that amounts to an avoidance or affirmative defense. If a party mislabels a defense as a counterclaim, or a counterclaim as a defense, the court can treat it as properly designated when justice requires.
Allegations that go unanswered are deemed admitted, except for the amount of damages claimed. Pleadings should be simple, concise, and direct, with no required technical form — and a party may plead alternative or even inconsistent claims and defenses in the same pleading, regardless of whether they rest on legal or equitable grounds. All of this comes with a string attached: every claim and denial is subject to the certification obligations in Rule 11. Finally, courts are instructed to construe every pleading to do substantial justice, rather than picking apart its wording.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a complaint need to say under Rule 8?
Only a short and plain statement showing the pleader is entitled to relief, along with a demand for the judgment sought. The pleader may demand alternative or several different types of relief.
What affirmative defenses must be specifically pleaded?
Rule 8(c) lists them: accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, discharge in bankruptcy, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fault of a non-party, fraud, illegality, injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment, release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of limitation, waiver, and any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense.
What happens if I do not respond to an allegation?
Allegations in a pleading requiring a response are deemed admitted if not denied, except for allegations about the amount of damages — the rule carves those out of the admitted-if-not-denied rule but does not itself say what happens to them. Separately, allegations in a pleading that calls for no response at all (or none is permitted) are treated as denied or avoided.
Can I plead inconsistent claims or defenses?
Yes. A party may state as many separate claims or defenses as it has, regardless of consistency, and regardless of whether they rest on legal or equitable grounds.
What is a general denial and can I use one?
A general denial denies all the averments of the preceding pleading at once, rather than responding to each one individually. A pleader may use one instead of specific denials, but doing so remains subject to the certification obligations in Rule 11.
What if I mislabel a counterclaim as a defense?
The court can correct the mistake and treat the pleading as if it had been properly designated, when justice requires it.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Washington Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Washington. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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