Much like the frame of a house, the pleadings serve the same purpose in a lawsuit. They are the framework upon which the rest of the case is built. Pleadings determine the claims and defenses that can be asserted in the case. They also provide the roadmap for the fact investigation and the discovery to be conducted. And, they are the starting point for determining whether evidence is relevant, and admissible. Finally, they dictate the amount and type of damages that can be recovered.

Read Chapter 3 of The Trial Compendium here.