34. Is the court likely to grant the photographer's motion to dismiss?

The guiding principle of pleading under the FRCP is known as «notice pleading,» codified under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) 7-10. Notice pleading refers to a system of pleading requirements that emphasizes pleadings only as a way to notify parties of general issues in a case. This allows plaintiffs to state their claims in general terms without alleging detailed facts to support each claim. However, a complaint must contain sufficient factual allegations to allow a district court to find that the claim is plausible, not merely possible. See Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007); Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009).

The first pleading in a civil case is the complaint, filed by the plaintiff, which sets out a short and plain statement of the court's jurisdiction and states a claim that shows the pleader is entitled to relief, as well as identifies the relief sought.

The answer in a case is the defendant's response to the allegations in the complaint. It is another form of pleading, and so must follow the same format as the complaint. There are two types of responses in an answer: The first is responsive to the facts alleged and the second raises other defenses to the allegations. A responsive paragraph in an answer is an admission or a denial of a given allegation in the complaint. Every allegation in the complaint has to be admitted, denied or the answer can deny sufficient information upon which to form a belief as to its truth.

After either admitting or denying the paragraphs in the complaint, the answer must assert any defenses, partial or complete. A partial defense, if proved, can defeat part of the case. A complete defense can defeat the entire case. A negative defense attacks the elements of the other party's case, such as by stating that an allegation never happened.

An affirmative defense does not directly deny the allegations of the claim that it is responding to. Instead, an affirmative defense alleges new facts that, if true, can defeat the claim.

There are numerous affirmative defenses possible, including lack of subject-matter or personal jurisdiction, wrong venue, mistake, fraud, duress, the satisfaction of a debt, assumption of the risk, the statute of limitations, or the catch-all «failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.»

Generally, an affirmative defense to a claim for relief must be asserted in the answer (or in a motion) or it will be waived. Affirmative defenses are often accompanied by a motion to dismiss or other motion, particularly in questions involving jurisdiction, venue, and service of process.

B is correct. The photographer's position essentially is that even if everything the model alleges is true, the photographer is not liable because his minority status rendered him incapable of entering into a binding contract. This is an affirmative defense, which belongs in an answer, not as the basis for a motion to dismiss.

A is incorrect. A party must affirmatively state an affirmative defense in a responsive pleading. Incapacity to contract is an affirmative defense that is appropriately raised in an answer and will be waived if not timely raised. Therefore, the photographer should not wait to raise the issue of his capacity until trial.

C is incorrect. The model was not required to have included facts regarding the photographer's age in her complaint. Any facts regarding the photographer's age at the time of the contract relate to a potential affirmative defense, which is properly included in an answer, to which the model may later respond.

D is incorrect. Aside from the capacity defense, there are no other facts indicating that another basis for dismissal exists, or that the model's complaint otherwise failed to satisfy federal pleading requirements.