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Colorado Pleading Paper Template

Colorado court documents follow C.R.C.P. Rule 10, which sets a minimum 12-point font, plain white 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, and averments stated in numbered paragraphs limited to a single set of circumstances. Colorado does not use numbered pleading-paper lines.

Introduction

Colorado is not a numbered-line pleading paper state. Its court documents use plain paper with a caption, formatted under the rules below. Colorado court filings are governed by C.R.C.P. Rule 10 (Form and Quality of Pleadings, Motions and Other Documents), which fixes three concrete requirements: no less than twelve (12) point font for all documents, plain white 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, and every averment of claim or defense stated in numbered paragraphs limited to a single set of circumstances. Colorado is not a numbered-line pleading-paper state, so do not look for consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Instead, the distinctive demand is the numbered-paragraph structure: each factual allegation sits in its own numbered paragraph. A filing that uses an 11-point font, the wrong paper size, or runs allegations together in block prose can be rejected or returned by the clerk, which costs filing time and can put a deadline at risk. This page covers what C.R.C.P. Rule 10 actually requires for the paper, the font, the caption, and the paragraph structure, and flags the items that Rule 10 leaves to your local district court. DocDraft drafts your document in properly formatted Colorado court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    All documents must use no less than twelve (12) point font under C.R.C.P. Rule 10. An 11-point or smaller font does not comply.

  2. 2

    Pleadings must be on plain, white, 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper under C.R.C.P. Rule 10.

  3. 3

    All averments of claim or defense must be made in numbered paragraphs, each limited to a statement of a single set of circumstances (C.R.C.P. Rule 10).

  4. 4

    Every pleading must carry a caption naming the court, the title of the action, the case number, and the document designation.

  5. 5

    C.R.C.P. Rule 10 does not fix a specific margin width or line spacing, so those are set by your local district court's rules and by the statewide e-filing standards.

  6. 6

    Most Colorado civil filings by attorneys go through the Colorado Courts E-Filing (CCE) system; the Rule 10 format applies whether the document is filed on paper or electronically.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in Colorado, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Pleading Paper guide walks through them.

Open the Pleading Paper guide

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DISTRICT COURT, [COUNTY] COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: [COURT ADDRESS]

Plaintiff: [PLAINTIFF NAME] v. Defendant: [DEFENDANT NAME]

[Space reserved for clerk / case number] Case Number: [CASE NO.] Division: [DIV.] Courtroom: [CTRM]

[DOCUMENT TITLE, e.g. COMPLAINT]

[Body formatted per C.R.C.P. Rule 10: plain white 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, no less than 12-point font. State each averment of claim or defense in a separate numbered paragraph limited to a single set of circumstances. Margins and line spacing per local district court rules and the Colorado Courts E-Filing standards.]

  1. [First averment.]
  2. [Second averment.]

WHEREFORE, [relief requested].

Respectfully submitted,

[NAME], [Bar No. if attorney] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] / [EMAIL] Attorney for / Self-Represented [PARTY]

Colorado Requirements for Pleading Paper

Letter-size white paper

Use plain, white, 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper as required by C.R.C.P. Rule 10.

12-point font minimum

Use no less than twelve (12) point font for all documents under C.R.C.P. Rule 10. Smaller fonts do not comply.

Caption block

Head the first page with the court (District Court, the county, Colorado), the parties, the case number and division, and the document title.

Numbered paragraphs

State every averment of claim or defense in a separate numbered paragraph, each limited to a single set of circumstances, under C.R.C.P. Rule 10.

Margins and line spacing

C.R.C.P. Rule 10 does not fix a margin width or line spacing; follow your local district court's rules and the Colorado Courts E-Filing format standards.

Electronic filing

Attorneys generally file Colorado civil documents through the Colorado Courts E-Filing system; the Rule 10 format applies whether filed on paper or electronically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 10 requires no less than twelve (12) point font for all documents. A smaller font, such as 11-point, does not meet the rule. Rule 10 sets the font floor but does not name a specific typeface.

Under C.R.C.P. Rule 10, pleadings, motions, and other documents must be on plain, white, 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. This is the standard letter size used across Colorado state courts.

No. Colorado does not require consecutive line numbers down the left margin. C.R.C.P. Rule 10 instead requires that averments of claim or defense be made in numbered paragraphs, each limited to a single set of circumstances.

C.R.C.P. Rule 10 fixes the font and paper size but does not state a specific margin width. Margins and line spacing are set by your local district court's rules and by the statewide e-filing format standards, so check the rules of the court where you are filing.