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Pleading Paper Templates

Pleading paper is the numbered-line page format some courts require, and every state sets its own rules for margins, font, caption, and spacing on filed documents. Select your state for its court document formatting rules and a ready-to-use template.

Introduction

Pleading paper is the formatted page that courts require for documents filed in a lawsuit, and the exact rules depend on your state. In a few states, mainly California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, true pleading paper carries consecutive line numbers down the left margin. In most other states, filings use plain paper with a typed caption, and each state's rules of court set the margins, font, line spacing, and first-page format instead. Getting the format wrong matters: a clerk can reject a paper that does not meet the state's form requirements, which delays your filing and can cost you a deadline. This page explains what pleading paper is and how court formatting differs by state. Select your state below for its controlling rule, the specific margin, font, caption, and spacing requirements, and a court-ready template. DocDraft drafts your document in your state's required format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Only a few states use true numbered-line pleading paper. California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon require consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Most states use plain paper with a typed caption instead.

  2. 2

    Every state sets its own court document format rules. The margins, font size, line spacing, caption, page numbering, and paper size are governed by each state's rules of court, so the requirements change from state to state.

  3. 3

    The wrong format can get your filing rejected. Many states direct the clerk to refuse a paper that does not meet the form requirements, which can make you miss a deadline. Match your state's rules before you file.

  4. 4

    The caption is the most consistent element. Almost every state requires a first-page caption with the court name, the parties, the case number, and the title of the document, even when the rest of the format varies.

  5. 5

    Many statewide rules only cover the caption. In several states the margins, font, and spacing are set by local court rules rather than a statewide rule, so you also check the rules of the specific court.

  6. 6

    Electronic filing follows the same format rules. Many courts require e-filing under their local rules and state law, and the formatting requirements still apply to the PDF you submit.

  7. 7

    Pleading paper is used for most filed documents. Complaints, answers, motions, declarations, and briefs are filed in the required format. Approved Judicial Council or court forms are the usual exception.

Key Decisions

Document and State

Format and Filing

Customize your Pleading Paper Template with DocDraft

[COURT NAME AND JUDICIAL DISTRICT OR COUNTY]

[PLAINTIFF NAME], Plaintiff, v. Case No. [CASE NUMBER] [DEFENDANT NAME], Defendant.

[TITLE OF DOCUMENT, e.g. COMPLAINT / ANSWER / MOTION]

(First-page caption: court name, parties, case number, and the title of the document. The exact placement and the line-numbering, margin, font, and spacing rules depend on your state. Select your state for its specific requirements.)

[Begin the body of your document here, formatted to your state's rules of court: margins, font size, line spacing, and, where required (California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon), consecutive numbered lines down the left margin.]

[SIGNATURE BLOCK] Dated: [DATE] [SIGNATURE] [NAME], [Attorney for / In Pro Per] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] [EMAIL]

[Page number at the bottom and any required footer with the document title, per your state's rules.]

Frequently Asked Questions

Pleading paper is the formatted page used for documents filed in court. In some states it carries consecutive numbered lines down the left margin, and in all states it follows that state's rules of court for margins, font, caption, and spacing.

No. Only a few states, mainly California, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, require consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Most states use plain paper with a typed caption and set their own margin, font, and spacing rules.

Courts can reject a filing that does not meet the form rules, which delays the case and can cause a missed deadline. Following your state's margin, font, caption, and spacing requirements keeps the document acceptable for filing.

Each state's rules of court set the format, and some details are in local court rules. Select your state on this page for its controlling rule and the specific margin, font, caption, and spacing requirements.

Most documents filed in a lawsuit use the required court format, including complaints, answers, motions, declarations, and briefs. Official preprinted court forms are the usual exception because they already follow an approved format.

Yes. Many courts require electronic filing under their local rules and state law. The same formatting rules apply to the document you file, so the PDF must still meet the margin, font, and caption requirements.