Drafting of Written Statement and affidavit in support

A summons lands at a shop in Dadar and the owner panics: a supplier says he owes Rs. 6 lakh for goods he insists were returned. He wants to know whether to simply ignore it or hire someone to write back. The law's answer is sharp. If nobody answers the plaint within the time allowed, the court can decide the case on the plaintiff's version alone. The document that stops that from happening is the written statement. What must it say, how fast must it be filed, and what does it gain from the affidavit that travels with it?

In two minutes

A written statement is the defendant's pleading in answer to the plaint, to be filed within thirty days of service of summons (extendable to ninety by the court for recorded reasons), dealing specifically with each allegation, raising new defences, and verified with an affidavit in support.

The rest of this chapter

The full explanation, the cheat sheet, every previous-year question at every mark weight, the quiz and the answer skeletons are part of Drafting, Pleading and Conveyancing – III on LexBlox Semester. Sign in to unlock the subject, or read Module 1 of Legal Language and Writing free.