Illinois Pleading Petition / Motion refers to a court filing that is used to initiate or respond to a court action. It is a formal request to the court to take some kind of action, such as issue an order or grant a judgment. There are three types of Illinois Pleading Petition / Motion: Complaint, Motion, and Answer. A Complaint is a document that is filed to start a civil lawsuit. It outlines the facts of the case, the legal basis for the suit, and the relief sought by the plaintiff. A Motion is a document filed to ask the court to grant a specific request, such as granting a motion to dismiss or granting summary judgment. An Answer is a document filed by a defendant in response to a complaint. It typically includes a statement of defenses that the defendant is raising to the claims presented in the complaint.