After receiving the Defendants' Answer, must a Plaintiff file a Reply to their Affirmative Defenses?

I am a certified divorce and family law trial attorney by the NJ Supreme Court and comfortable talking about litigation claims in the family court, but it sounds like you have filed a civil lawsuit - so you are better off directing your question to a civil litigation attorney to determine what steps you need to take next, including determining whether you are qualified to handle this matter on your own. There is a difference between a defendant filing an affirmative defense and his filing of a counterclaim or 3rd party claim and you also need to know the legal significance of the affirmative defenses pled. You also need to know whether the lawyer can represent all of the defendants or whether there is any conflict.