svaromål

Svaromål is a legal term used in some Nordic languages to denote the defendant’s formal reply to a plaintiff’s complaint or accusation in a court or administrative proceeding. The svaromål is typically filed within a prescribed deadline and serves to present the defendant’s position, addressing each of the plaintiff’s allegations, either admitting, denying, or partially admitting them. The document may include defenses, factual clarifications, evidence, and, where applicable, counterclaims or requests for relief.

In civil procedure, the svaromål functions alongside the plaintiff’s claim and any subsequent replies, with the exact process and terminology varying by jurisdiction. The svaromål is intended to provide a structured response that can shape the issues to be decided at trial or in a hearing. It may also prompt further procedural steps, such as additional pleadings, discovery, or a judicial decision.

The term also appears in administrative or regulatory contexts where a party must submit a formal answer to an agency’s charges, proposals, or rulings. Etymologically, svaromål combines words meaning “answer” and “claim” in Scandinavian languages, roughly translating to “response to a claim.”

See also: Civil procedure, defense, counterclaim, rejoinder, inlaga (Swedish), tilsvar (Norwegian).