Illinois Getting Started is a free legal service provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Through this service, attorneys provide assistance to individuals seeking to file an answer or response to a complaint or petition. The process starts by having the attorney review the complaint or petition and then filing a response within the appropriate time period. The response must contain facts and law that refute the claims made in the complaint or petition. Additionally, the response may include a counterclaim, which is a claim the respondent makes against the petitioner. There are two main types of Illinois Getting Started answer/response to Complaint/Petition: an Answer and a Motion. An Answer is a formal response to allegations in the complaint or petition. It is filed by the respondent with the court, and includes a denial or admission of each allegation. A Motion is a request for the court to make a ruling on an issue. It must include the facts and law that support the motion, as well as a request for relief. The court can grant or deny the motion.