Connecticut Pleading Paper Template
Connecticut court documents under Practice Book Section 4-1 must be on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper with no back or cover sheet, a page number on every page after the first, and a roughly two-inch blank space at the bottom of the first page for the clerk.
Introduction
Connecticut does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Court filings go on plain letter-size paper with a proper caption, formatted under the rules covered here. Connecticut court filings follow Connecticut Practice Book Section 4-1 (Form of Pleading), which carries a distinctive first-page rule: at the bottom of the first page you must reserve a blank space of approximately two inches for the clerk's receipt and time-of-filing notations and for any Section 11-18 statements. Documents must be on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper with no back or cover sheet, and every page after the first must carry a page number. Connecticut is not a numbered-line pleading-paper state, so there are no consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Pleadings filed after the complaint must be headed with the case title and number, the name of the court, and the date and designation of the particular pleading, in conformity with the applicable form in the Appendix of Forms. A document filed with a cover sheet, no reserved clerk space, or unnumbered pages can be rejected or returned, which wastes filing time and can endanger a deadline. This page covers what Section 4-1 requires for the paper, the heading, page numbering, and the reserved space, and notes the items left to local court rule. DocDraft drafts your document in properly formatted Connecticut court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
Paper-filed documents must be 8 1/2 by 11 inch with no back or cover sheet under Practice Book Section 4-1(a).
- 2
A blank space of approximately two inches must be reserved at the bottom of the first page for the clerk's receipt and time-of-filing notations and Section 11-18 statements (Sec. 4-1(b)).
- 3
Every page other than the first page must carry a page number (Sec. 4-1(a)).
- 4
Pleadings after the complaint must be headed with the case title and number, the name of the court, and the date and designation of the pleading, per the Appendix of Forms (Sec. 4-1(a)).
- 5
Paper documents are punched with two holes, each centered seven-sixteenths of an inch from the upper edge and two and twelve-sixteenths inches apart, per Sec. 4-1(b).
- 6
Practice Book Section 4-1 does not fix a body font, margin width, or line spacing, so those are set by local court rule; electronic filings must be in substantially the same format under Sec. 4-1(c).
- 7
Most Superior Court civil matters require attorney e-filing under Section 4-4, with exemptions for self-represented and exempt categories.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Pleading Paper in Connecticut, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Pleading Paper guide walks through them.
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Connecticut Requirements for Pleading Paper
File on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper with no back or cover sheet under Practice Book Section 4-1(a).
Reserve a blank space of approximately two inches at the bottom of the first page for the clerk's notations and Section 11-18 statements (Sec. 4-1(b)).
Place a page number on every page other than the first page (Sec. 4-1(a)).
Head pleadings after the complaint with the case title and number, the name of the court, and the date and designation of the pleading, per the Appendix of Forms (Sec. 4-1(a)).
Punch paper documents with two holes centered seven-sixteenths of an inch from the upper edge and two and twelve-sixteenths inches apart (Sec. 4-1(b)).
Section 4-1 does not fix a body font, margin width, or line spacing; follow local court rule. Electronic filings must be in substantially the same format (Sec. 4-1(c)).
Most Superior Court civil matters require attorney e-filing under Section 4-4, with exemptions for self-represented and exempt categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Connecticut Practice Book Section 4-1, paper-filed documents must be 8 1/2 by 11 inch with no back or cover sheet. Pages are also punched with two holes near the upper edge per the rule's specific spacing measurements.
Practice Book Section 4-1(b) requires a blank space of approximately two inches at the bottom of the first page. It is reserved for the clerk's receipt and time-of-filing notations and for any Section 11-18 statements, so do not place text there.
Yes. Under Practice Book Section 4-1, every page other than the first page must carry a page number. The first page is the exception and does not need a number.
Practice Book Section 4-1 fixes the paper size, page numbering, and reserved clerk space but does not set a body font or margin width. Those are governed by local court rule, so check the rules of the court where you file.