A guide to drafting a federal court answer in which the defendant asserts its own claims against the plaintiff or co-defendants according to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). Specifically, this Practice Note explains the nature of counterclaims and crossclaims, considerations in deciding whether to plead them, how to draft them, and how the assertion of affirmative claims may affect the service and filing of the answer. This Note addresses answers to these claims, including possible responsive claims, and replies.