Arizona

Family Law

Family Law

Rule 24 – Contents of Pleadings

(a)Petition. A petition must contain:

(1) a simple statement of the grounds for the court’s jurisdiction, unless the court already has exercised its jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional proof to support it;
(2) a simple statement of a claim that shows the petitioner is entitled to relief; and
(3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include relief in the alternative or different types of relief.
(b)Response.

(1)Generally. In responding to a pleading, a party must:

(A) admit or deny the allegations asserted against the party by an opposing party; and
(B) state in simple terms its defenses to each claim asserted against the party.
(2)Denials-Responding to the Substance. A denial must respond to the substance of the allegation. It also must include any statement of fact on which the party relies that differs from the opposing party’s allegations.
(3)Denying Part of an Allegation. Any party who intends in good faith to deny only part of an allegation must admit the part that is true and deny the rest.
(4)Lacking Knowledge or Information. A party who lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of an allegation must so state, and the statement has the effect of a denial.
(5)Asserting Claims. The response may include claims for relief.
(6)Effect of a Response. Except as provided in Rule 29(g), the filing of a response has the effect of placing at issue any matter in the petition not specifically admitted.
(c)Alternative Statements; Inconsistency. A party may set out two or more statements of a claim or defense hypothetically or alternatively. If a party makes alternative statements, the pleading is sufficient if any one of them is sufficient. A party may state as many separate claims or defenses as the party has, regardless of consistency.
(d)Construing Pleadings. Pleadings must be construed so as to do substantial justice.

Ariz. R. Fam. Law. proc. 24

Added Oct. 19, 2005, effective Jan. 1, 2006. Amended Sept. 5, 2007, effective Jan. 1, 2008;Sept. 16, 2008, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Amended on an emergency basis Aug. 30, 2012, effective Jan. 1, 2013, amendment adopted on a permanent basisDec. 10, 2012. Amended Sept. 2, 2016, effective Jan. 1, 2017; amended effectiveJan. 1, 2019.