West Virginia SCA-M225 Answer Form — How to Fill It Out

Form SCA-M225 is the official Answer form for West Virginia Magistrate Court civil cases. It is published by the Supreme Court of Appeals and available for free at courtswv.gov under Magistrate Court Forms. But downloading the blank PDF is the easy part — knowing what to write in each section is what trips up most self-represented defendants.

Here is how to complete it correctly.

The Caption Section

The top of the form requires the case caption — the administrative header that identifies your case. Copy this information exactly from the Civil Complaint (SCA-M207 or SCA-M208) you were served with:

• County: the county where the case was filed
• Case Number: the tracking number assigned by the clerk
• Plaintiff name(s): the person or business suing you
• Defendant name(s): your name as it appears on the complaint

Match the spelling and formatting from the complaint. If your name is misspelled on the complaint, use the same misspelling on the answer form so the clerk can match the documents. You can note the correct spelling separately.

Choosing Your Response

The body of SCA-M225 gives you checkboxes for your position on the claims:

Deny All Matters — Check this if you dispute every allegation in the complaint. The case proceeds to trial where the plaintiff must prove their claims.

Admit in Part, Deny in Part — Check this if some facts are true but others are wrong. You can specify which portions you admit and which you deny in the space provided.

Confess Judgment — Check this only if you agree with everything the plaintiff claims and are willing to have judgment entered against you immediately. This waives your right to a trial.

Most defendants responding to a standard civil complaint check either "Deny All" or "Admit in Part, Deny in Part." If you are unsure, denying preserves your right to explain your side at trial.

The Counterclaim Section

If the plaintiff owes you money from the same transaction — say a contractor damaged your property while doing the work they are now billing you for — you can assert a counterclaim in the space provided on SCA-M225. There is no filing fee for a counterclaim in West Virginia Magistrate Court, and the plaintiff does not need to file a written reply to it. Both the original claim and the counterclaim are heard at the same trial.

Keep the counterclaim within the $20,000 jurisdictional limit, exclusive of interest and court costs. If it exceeds that amount, the claimant may waive the excess in writing under W. Va. Code § 50-4-11. Either party may also remove the action to Circuit Court under § 50-4-8 by filing a written motion at least 10 days before the first scheduled trial and paying the filing fee; if the claim is not waived or removed, it must be dismissed without prejudice under § 50-4-11.

Write a brief, factual description of your claim — what happened, when, and how much you are owed. The counterclaim space on the form is small, so keep it concise.

The Certificate of Service

The bottom of SCA-M225 has a Certificate of Service section. After you complete the form, you must:

1. File the original signed form with the Magistrate Court Clerk
2. Send a copy to the plaintiff (or their attorney) by first-class mail or hand delivery
3. Fill in the Certificate of Service with the date and method you used

This step is required under Rules 4(a) and 8 of the Rules of Civil Procedure for Magistrate Courts. Many defendants skip it, thinking the court forwards their answer to the plaintiff. It does not.

Filing the Completed Form

Bring or mail your completed SCA-M225 to the Magistrate Court Clerk in the county listed on your summons. In-person filing is the safest option because you get immediate confirmation. If you mail it, the form must physically arrive at the clerk's office before your 20-day deadline expires — postmark dates do not count.

There is no fee to file an answer. The clerk accepts the document and places your case on the trial docket.

The West Virginia Small Claims Response Guide includes an annotated walkthrough of every SCA-M225 field with fillable worksheets for organizing your response before you pick up the pen.

See more West Virginia guides →