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DE · rules

Del. Super. Ct. Civ. R. 9

Pleading special matters

activein force · 1991-01-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Capacity. It is not necessary to allege the capacity of a party to sue or be sued or the authority of a

party to sue or be sued in a representative capacity or the legal existence of an organized association of

persons that is made a party. When a party desires to raise an issue as to the legal existence of any party,

or the capacity of any party to sue or be sued, or the authority of a party to sue or be sued in a

representative capacity, the party shall do so by specific negative averment, supported by affidavit when

required by Rule 8(dd), which negative averment shall include such supporting particulars as are

peculiarly within the pleader’s knowledge.

(b) Fraud, negligence, mistake, condition of mind. In all averments of fraud, negligence or mistake, the

circumstances constituting fraud, negligence or mistake shall be stated with particularity. Malice, intent,

knowledge and other condition of mind of a person may be averred generally.

(c) Conditions precedent. In pleading the performance or occurrence of conditions precedent, it is

sufficient to aver generally that all conditions precedent have been performed or have occurred. A denial

of performance or occurrence shall be made specifically and with particularity.

(d) Official document or act. In pleading an official document or official act it is sufficient to aver that the

document was issued or the act done in compliance with law.

(e) Judgment. In pleading a judgment or decision of a domestic or foreign court, judicial or quasi-judicial

tribunal, or of a board or officer, it is sufficient to aver the judgment or decision without setting forth

matter showing jurisdiction to render it.

(f) Time and place. For the purpose of testing the sufficiency of a pleading, averments of time and place

are material and shall be considered like all other averments of material matter.

(g) Damages. A pleading, whether a complaint, counterclaim, cross-claim or a third-party claim, which

prays for unliquidated money damages, shall demand damages generally without specifying the amount,

except when items of special damage are claimed, they shall be specifically stated. Upon service of a

written request by another party, the party serving such pleading shall, within 10 days after service

thereof, serve on the requesting party a written statement of the amount of damages claimed; such

statement shall not be filed except on order of the Court.

History

Amended, effective June 23, 1960; Oct. 4, 1961; Jan. 1, 1991.

Provenance

Source
courts.delaware.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-23
Edition
2026-09-23
Content hash
e2cb69e2a16baf395a33801571e14f611146f88fc48e11d513afca4d402c3daa
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