They come from an official source, but they do not have the force of law. Whenever you see this gavel symbol, it indicates that the information comes from an official source. Unofficial commentaries . These are written for you by legal practitioners who have agreed to help with this project. The views are solely those of the contributors.
Instructions vary according to the party.
The plaintiff is the one who brings the action. There are instructions specific to plaintiffs. The defendant is the one who receives the paperwork. If the defendant decides the plaintiff is the one who should be sued, or should also be sued by the defendant, then the defendant can go on the offensive and file a counterclaim in addition to the answer, within the permitted time. This reverses the roles somewhat, and places the defendant in a role of a plaintiff for some purposes, and the plaintiff in the role of a defendant.