The courts
complaint
The document that begins a civil lawsuit: who the parties are, what happened, which law was broken, and what the plaintiff wants the court to do.
In full
A complaint must state enough facts to make the claim plausible, not merely possible, and must establish that the court has jurisdiction. Filing it starts the case and the clock. The defendant responds with an answer or moves to dismiss, arguing that even if everything alleged is true, the law provides no remedy.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.