Counterclaim & Crossclaim

Drafts counterclaim and/or crossclaim pleadings asserting a defendant's affirmative claims against the plaintiff or co-defendants, satisfying procedural and substantive pleading requirements.

Prerequisites

Original complaint — full text with caption, case number, court, filing date
Case documents — contracts, correspondence, invoices, emails, evidence
Party information — names, roles, addresses, relationships (including co-defendants for crossclaims)
Jurisdictional details — court, rules of civil procedure, local rules, formatting requirements
Legal authority — statutes, regulations, case law for each cause of action

Quick Start

Extract case identifiers and build a chronological fact timeline from provided documents
Classify each potential claim as compulsory or permissive (FRCP 13(a)/(b) or state equivalent)
Run the procedural compliance checklist below
Assemble the pleading using the document structure
Verify all element requirements per the cause of action table

Workflow

Step 1: Document Review & Fact Extraction

| Task | Details | |------|---------| | Extract identifiers | Court, caption, case number, party designations | | Build timeline | Formation → performance → breach → damages → plaintiff's wrongful conduct | | Identify counterclaim targets | Same transaction/occurrence (compulsory) or related matters (permissive) | | Identify crossclaim targets | Co-defendants liable under contribution, indemnification, or independent theories | | Catalog damages | Specific amounts, dates, causation chain, continuing damages |

Step 2: Procedural Compliance

[ ] Compulsory vs. permissive status (FRCP 13(a)/(b) or state equivalent)
[ ] Crossclaim from same transaction/occurrence (FRCP 13(g) or state equivalent)
[ ] Statute of limitations for each cause of action
[ ] Jurisdictional basis: supplemental for counterclaims; independent or supplemental for crossclaims
[ ] Local rules: caption format, margins, font, spacing, page limits, e-filing
[ ] Verification requirement (party vs. attorney)
[ ] Heightened pleading (FRCP 9(b) for fraud: who, what, when, where, how)

Step 3: Document Assembly

Structure the pleading with these sections in order:

Caption — Mirror original complaint; add Counterclaimant/Counter-Defendant/Cross-Claimant/Cross-Defendant designations; title "COUNTERCLAIM AND CROSSCLAIM" (or separate documents per local rules)

Introductory Statement — Filing party, capacity, authorizing rule (FRCP 13/state equivalent), compulsory/permissive nature; for crossclaims: co-defendant targets and legal basis

Jurisdictional Allegations — Subject matter jurisdiction, supplemental jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. § 1367) [VERIFY], amount in controversy, venue

Parties — Full identification with transaction roles; crossclaim defendants: describe liability-creating relationship

Factual Allegations (numbered paragraphs) — Incorporate admissions from complaint by reference; deny/qualify inaccurate allegations; present new facts chronologically; allege damages with specificity (nature, timing, causation, amount)

Causes of Action (separately numbered counts) — Format: "COUNT [N]: [Legal Theory] ([Counterclaim/Crossclaim] Against [Party])". Each count: incorporate factual paragraphs by reference, satisfy each element, cite controlling authority, include theory-specific allegations (fault percentage for contribution, indemnification clause for contractual indemnity)

Prayer for Relief — Compensatory damages, punitive damages (if authorized), injunctive/declaratory relief, attorney's fees (cite basis), pre/post-judgment interest, catch-all clause; separate subsections for counterclaim vs. crossclaim relief

Verification (if required) — Party declaration under penalty of perjury

Signature Block — Attorney name, bar number, firm, contact; "Attorney for Defendant/Counterclaimant/Cross-Claimant [Name]"

Certificate of Service — All parties/counsel, addresses, method, date

Cause of Action Elements

| Claim | Required Elements | |-------|-------------------| | Breach of Contract | Formation → terms → performance → breach → causation → damages | | Fraud | False statement → materiality → scienter → reliance → causation → damages (plead with particularity) | | Contribution | Common liability → proportionate fault → right to apportion | | Contractual Indemnity | Indemnification clause → triggering event → covered claims → notice | | Common Law Indemnity | Special relationship → passive vs. active fault → right to shift liability | | Unjust Enrichment | Benefit conferred → knowledge → inequity of retention |

Pitfalls & Checks

Compulsory counterclaim waiver: Failure to assert a compulsory counterclaim typically results in waiver — flag all potentially compulsory claims
Alternative pleading: Permitted under FRCP 8(d)(2); label "in the alternative" without conceding primary theory
Relation back: Counterclaims generally relate back to the original filing date for limitations, but verify jurisdiction-specific rules
Consistency: Party names, dates, amounts, and contract references must match source documents exactly
Cross-references: Verify all internal paragraph and exhibit references; ensure exhibit labels match text
All citations must be verified — mark uncertain citations with [VERIFY]
Do not fabricate facts — plead only from provided case documents