What is the delivery of a pleading or other paper in a lawsuit to the opposing party called?

• A. Service
• B. Summons
• C. Notice
• D. Verification

Answer: (A)

The delivery of a pleading or other paper to the opposing party is called service. Service is the formal act of giving notice to the other side that a legal action has been started or that a document has been filed, and it ensures the party has an opportunity to respond within statutory deadlines. It often involves specific procedures—who can serve, how service must be made (personal delivery, delivery to an agent, or sometimes by mail), and how proof of service is documented.

A summons is a particular paper that accompanies a complaint and tells the defendant to appear and answer; it is something that is served, but the act of delivering papers is the broader concept of service. Notice is a more general term for informing someone of something, not the procedural act of delivering pleadings. Verification is a sworn statement in a document asserting the truth of its contents, and it does not describe the act of delivering papers.