A complete defense is a legal defense that successfully shields the defendant from having to pay any damages, or otherwise having to face any legal consequences following the completion of the trial. Complete defenses are an alternative to partial defenses, in which the defendant is successfully protected from a part of the charges, or accusations against him or her, but not all of them.
A complete defense is an optimal situation for a defendant. However, it is the opposite for the plaintiff. This is because it means that the plaintiff will be awarded no damages. An example of a complete defense would be if a woman sued her company for wrongful termination, but the jury disagreed with her claim and no damages were to be paid, or other consequences to be given. Many defendants strive for complete defenses so that they can walk away from the trial completely clean and free of any potential consequences.