Arizona State Court Counterclaim & Crossclaim
DEFENDANT'S COUNTERCLAIM AND CROSSCLAIM
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA
IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF [________________________________]
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| [PLAINTIFF NAME] | Plaintiff / Counterdefendant |
| v. | |
| [DEFENDANT NAME] | Defendant / Counterclaimant / Crossclaimant |
| [CODEFENDANT NAME] | Codefendant / Crossclaim defendant |
Case No.: [____________________]
Defendant [DEFENDANT NAME] asserts the following counterclaim against Plaintiff [PLAINTIFF NAME] and, if completed, crossclaim against codefendant [CODEFENDANT NAME] under Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13. This pleading is served with Defendant's [answer / other response: __________] dated [__/__/____].
Damage tier under Rule 8(b)(2), if applicable: The damages claimed qualify for Tier [1 / 2 / 3] under Rule 26.2(c)(3).
Separate filing if funded: If this party's litigation is subject to a qualifying third-party litigation funding agreement, file the Rule 8(j) certificate separately with this party's initial pleading.
I. Parties and Court
- Plaintiff [PLAINTIFF NAME] and Defendant [DEFENDANT NAME] are parties to this action. ☐ [CODEFENDANT NAME] is a coparty of Defendant.
- The Court has jurisdiction over the claims stated here because [state the facts and legal ground, or explain why existing jurisdiction needs no new support: ________________________________].
- The facts connecting each claim to this action and this county are [________________________________].
II. Counterclaim Against Plaintiff
- The claim arises from [describe transaction, occurrence, agreement, or conduct: ________________________________].
- This counterclaim is ☐ compulsory under Rule 13(a), subject to its exceptions ☐ permissive under Rule 13(b), because [explain the relationship to Plaintiff's claim: ________________________________].
- Count 1 — [NAME THE CAUSE OF ACTION]: [State the legal and factual basis of the claim, including any elements that must be pleaded: ________________________________].
- Plaintiff's conduct and Defendant's resulting injury or entitlement to other relief are [________________________________].
- Additional count, if any: [________________________________].
III. Crossclaim Against Codefendant, If Applicable
- ☐ Defendant asserts a crossclaim under Rule 13(f)(1) against coparty [CODEFENDANT NAME]. It arises from [same transaction, occurrence, event, or property: ________________________________].
- Crossclaim count — [NAME THE CAUSE OF ACTION]: [State the legal and factual basis, including any contract or other ground for relief: ________________________________].
- The codefendant's alleged conduct and the relief sought from that codefendant are [________________________________].
IV. Request for Relief
Defendant requests judgment on the completed claim or claims for:
- [Damages or other relief and its basis; state a dollar amount only if the sum is certain or computable as certain: ________________________________].
- [Other relief supported by the completed claim, if applicable: ________________________________].
- Such additional relief as the Court finds appropriate.
Dated: [__/__/____]
________________________________
[ATTORNEY OR SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY NAME]
[STATE BAR NUMBER, IF APPLICABLE]
[ADDRESS] · [EMAIL] · [TELEPHONE]
For Defendant [NAME]
Certificate of Service
I certify that on [__/__/____], I served this Counterclaim and Crossclaim on the existing parties under Ariz. R. Civ. P. 5(c) as follows:
| Person served | Address or authorized electronic destination | Method and date |
|---|---|---|
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
________________________________
[NAME OF PERSON EFFECTING SERVICE]
Sources and References
About this template
- Last updated
- October 27, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 27, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Arizona
- Category
- Litigation & Court Documents
Legal authority
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(a)-(c) (counterclaims and relief)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(f) (crossclaim against a coparty and codefendant timing)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 8(a), (b) (claim for relief; damage tier when no dollar amount is pleaded)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 8(j) (separate certificate for qualifying third-party litigation funding)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 26.2(c)(3) (tier of action by relief claimed, unless assigned otherwise)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 4(a) (summons and pleading for a newly joined party)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 5(c) (service on existing parties)
- Ariz. R. Civ. P. 11(a)(1) (signature)
These are the filings that drive a lawsuit through the system: complaints, answers, motions, briefs, discovery requests and responses, and post-judgment papers. Each has its own format requirements under federal and state procedural rules, and each has a deadline that cannot be missed without consequences. Clean, procedurally correct filings move a case forward; sloppy ones invite motions to strike, amended responses, and avoidable delays.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 27, 2026.
Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(a)(1) (checked October 10, 2026): "A pleading must state as a counterclaim any claim that—at the time of its service—the pleader has against an opposing party if the claim:"
Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(b)-(c) (checked October 10, 2026): "A pleading may state as a counterclaim against an opposing party any claim that is not compulsory."
Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(f)(2) (checked October 10, 2026): "A defendant’s crossclaim against a codefendant must be stated when the defendant files an answer or other response to the complaint or counterclaim, unless an amendment is later allowed under Rule 15(a)."
Ariz. R. Civ. P. 13(f)(1) (checked October 25, 2026): "A party may state as a crossclaim any claim against a coparty if the claim arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or event"
Draft your Arizona State Court Counterclaim & Crossclaim in the editor
Answer a few questions, let the AI editor draft each section from your answers, review it, and download Word and PDF. $99 one time, or $249 per month for every document and every Ezel app.