An “answer” is a defendant’s or respondent’s written response to a petition or complaint. An answer either admits or denies each of plaintiff’s or petitioner’s allegations and may include any counterclaims or affirmative defenses.
A defendant’s or respondent’s answer must be electronically filed with the court. The papers (original notice and petition) that were served on the defendant or respondent tell how long the defendant or respondent has to file an answer. For information on calculating answer deadlines, see Iowa Code section 4.1(34).
