West Virginia Code 56-4-54 – Form of bill of complaint
The plaintiff's bill may be in form or in substance as follows:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 56-4-54
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
The bill of complaint of A …………………………………… B ………………………………………………..
(state the names of all the plaintiffs) against C ………………………………………………………….
D ……………………………. State the names of all the defendants, if known, and if not, designate them as the "unknown parties," or "unknown heirs," etc., as the case may be,) filed in the circuit court of ………………………… county. The plaintiff complains and says that (here state all the facts constituting a claim to relief). The said plaintiff therefore prays that (here state the particular relief desired). He also asks such other and general relief as the court may see fit to grant.
A ………………………………………. B …………………………………………., Plaintiff.
Every person designated in the caption of such bill as the defendant shall be a defendant therein, without a prayer that he be made such, and shall be required to answer the bill in the same manner and to the same extent as if he were therein called upon to do so.