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United States · Federal civil procedure

When must a party respond after a more definite statement is served?

Unless the court sets a different time, Rule 12(a)(4)(B) requires serving the responsive pleading within fourteen days after the more definite statement is served, following the court’s grant of that motion. Establish the actual grant, statement service and any Rule 6(d) addition. This guide does not calculate a date.

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Read why no date is calculated
Period
Ordinarily fourteen days after statement service, with actual order and service conditions
Trigger
Effective service of the more definite statement after the court grants the motion
Rule
FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

December 1, 2025 compilation

Source guide · No automated date

Establish the actual procedure and conditions

The statement’s service method and a different court time are material. This isolated single-date preset does not resolve those conditions and publishes no calculated date or paid record.

FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)

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Which event starts this procedure?

Identify the actual grant of the motion for a more definite statement and read any different court time.

Preserve effective service of the resulting statement. Notice of the grant alone does not replace that service event.

Identify the actual service method and any qualifying Rule 6(d) addition.

FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)

Which timing conditions must be established?

  1. Identify the actual actor, pleading and required act.
  2. Establish the specified event and applicable order.
  3. Resolve the material conditions. This guide publishes no calculated date.
  4. Check final-day conditions and preserve service and filing evidence separately.

Identify actual effective service and the applicable period. Apply Rule 6(a) to the base period. Rule 6(d) adds three days only when the specified period runs after being served and service is under Rule 5(b)(2)(C), (D) or (F). Add them after the period would otherwise expire under Rule 6(a), then check the resulting final day. Office or dwelling delivery under (B), electronic service under (E), and Rule 4 original-complaint service do not automatically qualify. This single-date guide does not select the service method or publish a date.

Rule 6(a)(1) excludes the event day and counts intermediate calendar days. A final Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday carries the period forward to the next qualifying day. Rule 6(a)(6) includes federal and President or Congress declared holidays, plus state-declared holidays for forward periods in the district. Qualifying clerk inaccessibility is a separate filing condition.

FRCP 6(a)(1)

Why is no automated date published?

The statement’s service method and a different court time are material. This isolated single-date preset does not resolve those conditions and publishes no calculated date or paid record.

Which conditions change the assessment?

Grant and service, rather than denial
Rule 12(a)(4)(B) follows the actual grant of a more-definite-statement motion and uses service of the statement. Subsection (A)’s denial-notice branch is separate.
Actual court time
Rule 12(a)(4) expressly allows the court to set a different time. Preserve the applicable order.
Actual service method
Rule 6(d) adds three days only when the specified period runs after being served and service is under Rule 5(b)(2)(C), (D) or (F). Add them after the period would otherwise expire under Rule 6(a), then check the resulting final day. Office or dwelling delivery under (B), electronic service under (E), and Rule 4 original-complaint service do not automatically qualify.
Actual court enlargement
Rule 6(b)(1) permits actual court enlargement for good cause. Before expiry, the court may act with or without motion or notice, or a request may be made. After expiry, a motion requires failure to act because of excusable neglect. A request or agreement is not a granted extension.
FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)
  • This page does not establish effective service, merits, compliance or an actual court grant.
  • Service and filing are different acts. Verify both when required.

What should I verify before acting?

Common questions

This procedure and its conditions

Does notice of the grant start this response period?

The stated event is service of the more definite statement after the actual grant. Notice of the grant does not replace it.

FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)

Is this the time to provide the statement?

No. Rule 12(e) concerns obeying the order to supply the statement. Rule 12(a)(4)(B) concerns the responsive pleading after the statement is served.

FRCP 12(e)

Can specified service add time?

Rule 6(d) adds three days only when the specified period runs after being served and service is under Rule 5(b)(2)(C), (D) or (F). Add them after the period would otherwise expire under Rule 6(a), then check the resulting final day. Office or dwelling delivery under (B), electronic service under (E), and Rule 4 original-complaint service do not automatically qualify.

FRCP 6(d)

Official sources and review

Provisions used (7)
Provisions used in this guide
ProvisionPurpose
FRCP 12(a)(4)(B)This actor, required act, operative event and period
FRCP 5(b)Actual service methods and effectiveness
FRCP 6(d)Conditional addition for specified Rule 5 service
FRCP 5(d)Filing as a separate act after service
FRCP 12(e)Separate compliance with the order to provide the statement
FRCP 6(a)(1)Event exclusion and intermediate calendar days
FRCP 6(a)(3)–(6) and (b)(1)Actual final-day conditions, filing boundaries and applicable extension limits
Read the official Civil Rules compilation

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