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Pleadings are formal written statements submitted to the court that outline the parties' claims, defenses, and the relevant facts of the case. The primary documents retained within pleadings include the complaint, which initiates the lawsuit and outlines the plaintiff’s allegations, and the answer, which is the defendant’s response to those allegations.

Evidence, on the other hand, refers to any material that is used to prove or disprove facts in a legal proceeding. This includes documents, witness testimonies, and physical evidence. While evidence is essential to the trial process, it is not included in pleadings. Instead, evidence is typically presented during discovery and in the trial phase itself.

Affidavits, which are sworn statements made under oath, may be attached to pleadings but are often used to support claims made in those pleadings rather than being considered part of the pleadings themselves.

Thus, it is clear that evidence does not belong to the category of documents typically included in pleadings.