A Defendant's Answer to the Complaint is a legal document in which a defendant formally responds to the allegations of a plaintiff's complaint in a civil lawsuit. The answer typically includes admissions, denials, and/or affirmative defenses. Depending on the jurisdiction, the answer may also include a counterclaim. The answer is typically drafted by the defendant's attorney and must be filed with the court, along with a filing fee. If the answer does not respond to each allegation in the complaint, the court may deem the defendant to have admitted the allegations in the complaint by default. The answer typically contains three parts: admissions, denials, and affirmative defenses. Admissions are statements of fact that the defendant admits being true. Denials are statements denying the truth of the allegations made by the plaintiff in the complaint. Affirmative defenses are explanations offered by the defendant to excuse or mitigate his or her liability for the plaintiff's claims. Common types of affirmative defenses include: statute of limitations, assumption of risk, contributory negligence, and comparative negligence. In some jurisdictions, the defendant may also file a counterclaim against the plaintiff in the answer. A counterclaim is a claim by the defendant against the plaintiff for damages.