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Utah Legal Claims and Affirmative Defenses

Below are links to various legal claims and affirmative defenses, along with references to Utah statutes and court decisions.  It is only meant to be informational in nature.  Because the law changes rapidly, UtahWills.com cannot guarantee that all of the information contained herein is completely current. 

Legal claims

A person or business bringing a lawsuit against another must file a "complaint" with a court with jurisdiction and in that complaint identify what legal claims he/she/it believes to have, and will usually assert factual allegations to support the legal claims. The following is a list of cognizable legal claims in Utah courts. By clicking on a link, you will find the elements of the legal claim, along with other helpful information.  This is not an exhaustive list and is provided for informational purposes only.  

Affirmative defenses

A defending party must respond to each allegation brought by the plaintiff, and can advance certain reasons why recovery is not appropriate, which are commonly called "affirmative defenses," which are also summarized in the links shown below.

  • Accord and satisfaction   

  • Arbitration and award   

  • Apparent authority   

  • Assumption of risk   

  • Bona fide purchaser   

  • Breach of insurance policy provisions   

  • Lack of capacity to bring suit   

  • Lack of condition precedent   

  • Contributory negligence   

  • Defamation   

  • Discharge of an obligation through an extension of time for payment   

  • Election of remedies   

  • Exception from insurance coverage   

  • Lack of meeting of the minds   

  • Discharge in bankruptcy   

  • Duress   

  • Estoppel   

  • Fraud   

  • Illegality   

  • Immunity   

  • Injury by civil servant  

  • Judgment   

  • Laches   

  • License   

  • Mistake   

  • Mitigation of damages   

  • Official document or act  

  • Payment   

  • Prescription   

  • Prematurity   

  • Privilege   

  • Rescission   

  • Retraction in a libel action   

  • Right derived from ordinance   

  • Release   

  • Res Ipsa Loquitur   

  • Res Judicata   

  • Right derived from statute   

  • Statute of frauds   

  • Statute of limitations   

  • Truth   

  • Unconstitutionality   

  • Unilateral mistake   

  • Waiver

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