Complaint
7357
217849883
2008-06-08T00:02:57Z
Bjankuloski06en
810949
+mk
{{Unreferenced|date=October 2006}}
{{CivilProcedure}}
In general use, a '''complaint''' is an expression of displeasure, such as poor service at a store, or from a [[local government]], etc. Under [[common law]], a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the basic facts and legal reasons (see: [[cause of action]]) that the [[filing]] party (the [[plaintiff]]s) believes are sufficient to support a claim against another person, persons, entity or entities (the [[defendant]]s) that entitles the plaintiff(s) to a [[remedy]] (either [[money damages]] or [[injunctive relief]]). For example, the [[Federal Rules of Civil Procedure]] that govern civil litigation in [[United States]] courts provide that a civil action is commenced with the filing or service of a pleading called a complaint. Civil court rules in states that have incorporated the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure use the same term for the same pleading.
In some jurisdictions, certain types of criminal cases may also be commenced by the filing of a complaint, also sometimes called a '''criminal complaint''' or '''felony complaint'''. All criminal cases are prosecuted in the name of the governmental authority that promulgates criminal statutes and enforces the [[police power]] of the state with the goal of seeking criminal [[sanctions (law)|sanctions]], such as the State (also sometimes called the People) or Crown (in [[Commonwealth Realms]]). In the United States, the complaint is often associated with misdemeanor criminal charges presented by the prosecutor without the grand jury process. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the charging instrument presented to and authorized by a [[grand jury]] is referred to as an [[indictment]].
In many U.S. jurisdictions, a complaint submitted to a court must be accompanied by a [[Case Information Statement]], which sets forth certain key information about the case and the [[lawyer]]s representing the [[Party (law)|parties]]. This allows the judge to make determinations about which deadlines to set for different phases of the case, as it moves through the court system.
In certain countries, (for example the [[UK]] and many countries of the [[European Community]]), the making of consumer complaints, particularly regarding the sale of financial services, is governed by [[statute]]. The statutory authority may require companies to reply to complaints within set time limits, publish written procedures for handling customer dissatisfaction and provide information about arbitration schemes.
==See also==
* [[Petition]]
* [[Cause of action]]
* [[Pleading]]
* [[Service of process]]
* [[Federal Trade Commission]]
* [[Better Business Bureau]]
==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
* [http://www.ftc.gov/ Federal Trade Commission]
* [http://www.complaintcommunity.com/ ComplaintCommunity : Complaints Made Easy!]
* [http://www.mywoes.com/ Post and view complaints]
* [http://www.queixas.co.pt/ Post and view complaints in Portuguese language]
* [http://www.millerandzois.com/sample-personal-injury-complaints.html Sample Legal Complaints]
[[Category:Legal terms]]
[[Category:Legal documents]]
{{law-term-stub}}
[[de:Strafantrag]]
[[es:Demanda]]
[[ko:진정서 (법)]]
[[mk:Жалба]]
[[ja:クレーム]]
[[pl:Skarga]]
[[sr:Жалба]]
[[uk:Скарга]]