Complaint Form

Objectives

• Locate an online civil complaint form
• Draft a sample civil complaint

Assignment Overview

In this practice exercise, you will complete the basic elements of a complaint, using either the form provided or one from the jurisdiction in which you live.

Deliverables

Completed civil complaint form (written in 12-point font using a word processor such as MS Word)

Step 1 Locate a case on defamation.

Use the Internet or other resources to locate a case on defamation.

Step 2 Determine if your jurisdiction provides an electronic civil Complaint Form.

Conduct an Internet search to determine if your state provides a civil complaint form in an electronic format such as MS Word or PDF. Verify that you can fill out the form electronically, save it, and submit it for this assignment.

If you find such a form, download it and save a copy for yourself in an easily accessible place. If you are unable to find an electronic civil complaint form for your state online, here are alternate suggestions:

Visit the courthouse and pick up a hard copy instead, and then scan into a format you can edit electronically (such as MS Word or editable PDF).

Access an electronic civil complaint form by going to the California or Colorado sites listed below (as noted earlier, verify that you can fill out the form electronically, save it, and submit it for this assignment):

• California Court Form(Links to an external site.)
• Colorado Court Form(Links to an external site.)
• Civil Complaint Form Template(Links to an external site.)

Step 3 Locate rules and procedures.

Locate specific rules and procedures used for civil complaints in your jurisdiction. To locate rules and procedures for your jurisdiction, look at your state code or manual under civil complaints. You can also go to your local court's website and look up the rules and procedures for filing a civil complaint. Review recent cases in your state if needed, to verify that you know the current rules and procedures to follow.

Step 4 Draft a civil complaint.

Using the electronic form you located in Step 2 and the defamation case you located in Step 1, draft a civil complaint. Verify that the completed form complies with the requirements you identified in Step 3.

Step 5 Complete the civil complaint form.

Complete the complaint form by inserting parties, court information, the relief sought, and other data from the case you located in Step 1. Insert the cause of action as defamation.