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Hawaii Pleading Paper Template

Hawaii does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Under HRCP Rule 10(a), the first page must have either a 3-inch top margin or a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner for the file stamp, plus a caption naming the court and the action.

Introduction

The feature that sets a Hawaii filing apart is the file-stamp reservation on the first page. Under Hawai'i Rules of Civil Procedure (HRCP) Rule 10(a), the first page of a pleading must carry either a 3-inch top margin or a reserved 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner so the court's electronic file stamp lands in clear space. Hawaii does not use consecutively numbered margin lines, so this is a court filing format rather than pleading paper. Rule 10(a) also requires a caption that sets forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. In the complaint, the title of the action names every party; later pleadings may name the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of the others. A filing that crowds the stamp area or omits the proper caption can be rejected by the clerk, which costs you a filing date you may need. This page covers the Rule 10(a) first-page stamp space, the caption block, and how Hawaii's statewide Judiciary Electronic Filing System (JEFS) handles attorney filings, with the margin, font, and spacing of the body set by your local court's rules where Rule 10 is silent. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Hawaii court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    The first page of a pleading must have either a 3-inch top margin or a reserved 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner for the court's electronic file stamp, under HRCP Rule 10(a).

  2. 2

    Every pleading must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation (HRCP Rule 10(a)).

  3. 3

    In the complaint the title of the action names all parties; later pleadings may name the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of the others (HRCP Rule 10(a)).

  4. 4

    Hawaii does not require consecutively numbered margin lines, so its filings are not numbered-line pleading paper.

  5. 5

    Body margins, font size, and line spacing are not fixed by Rule 10 and are set by your local court's rules.

  6. 6

    Attorney filings move through the statewide Judiciary Electronic Filing System (JEFS/JIMS), which is mandatory for attorneys in covered case types and courts.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in Hawaii, 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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IN THE [CIRCUIT/DISTRICT] COURT OF THE [FIRST] CIRCUIT STATE OF HAWAI'I

[reserve a 3-inch top margin OR a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner of this first page for the electronic file stamp, per HRCP Rule 10(a)]

[PLAINTIFF NAME], Plaintiff, vs. Civil No. [CASE NUMBER] [DEFENDANT NAME], Defendant.

[TITLE OF DOCUMENT, e.g. COMPLAINT]

[Body formatted per HRCP Rule 10(a): caption naming the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. Body margins, font, and line spacing are set by your local court's rules.]

DATED: [City], Hawai'i, [DATE].

[ATTORNEY OR SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY NAME] [Bar Number, if attorney] [Address / Telephone / Email] Attorney for [PARTY] / Self-Represented

Hawaii Requirements for Pleading Paper

First-page file-stamp space

The first page must have either a 3-inch top margin or a reserved 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner for the court's electronic file stamp, under HRCP Rule 10(a).

Caption contents

Every pleading must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation (HRCP Rule 10(a)).

Party names in the title

The complaint's title of the action names all parties; later pleadings may name the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of the others (HRCP Rule 10(a)).

No numbered lines

Hawaii does not require consecutively numbered margin lines; its filings are a court format, not numbered-line pleading paper.

Body margins, font, and spacing

Rule 10 does not fix body margins, font size, or line spacing; these are set by your local court's rules.

Electronic filing

Attorney filings move through the statewide Judiciary Electronic Filing System (JEFS/JIMS), mandatory for attorneys in covered case types and courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Under HRCP Rule 10(a), the first page of a pleading must have either a 3-inch top margin or a reserved 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner to accommodate the court's electronic file stamp. Rule 10 does not fix the left, right, or bottom margin widths.

No. Hawaii does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin. HRCP Rule 10(a) governs the caption and the first-page file-stamp space, but the state does not use numbered-line pleading paper the way California or Nevada do.

HRCP Rule 10(a) requires a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. The complaint names all parties in the title; later pleadings may name the first party on each side with an indication of the others.

HRCP Rule 10 does not fix the body font size or line spacing. Those specifications are set by your local court's rules, so check the rules of the circuit court or division where you are filing before you prepare the document.