Rule 3.11 Answer with New Matter

If you are responding to someone else's filing in an Orphans' Court case, you can do more than just deny what they said. You can also raise defenses or bring up new facts that support your side of the case.

Any affirmative defenses you want to raise must be listed in a section of your answer labeled "New Matter." An affirmative defense is when you admit something happened but argue there is a legal reason you should not be held responsible. If you skip this section, you may lose the right to use those defenses later.

You can also use the "New Matter" section to bring up other important facts that go beyond simply saying the other side is wrong. Keep in mind that anything you file under this rule is part of the public court record.