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Iowa Pleading Paper Template

Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.411 sets the caption and signature for court documents: the title of the case naming the court, parties, and instrument, plus the filer's signature, PIN, and contact information. Margins and font are set by local court rule.

Introduction

Iowa's statewide format rule centers on the caption and signature block rather than on margins or fonts. Under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.411, each appearance, notice, motion, or pleading must be captioned with the title of the case naming the court, the parties, and the instrument, and must bear the signature, personal identification number (PIN), address, and telephone number of the party or attorney filing it, with a facsimile number and e-mail address if available. A distinctive Iowa requirement is that the caption of a petition must state whether the action is at law or in equity. Iowa does not use consecutively numbered margin lines, so this is a court document format, not pleading paper. Rule 1.411 does not fix page margins, font size, or line spacing; those specifications are set by each local court's rules, so you should check the rules of the court where you are filing before preparing the body of the document. Iowa filing is handled through the statewide Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), which all attorneys and self-represented persons must register to use, and registered filers must electronically submit all documents to be filed except where the rules provide otherwise. This page covers the Rule 1.411 caption and signature requirements and the EDMS e-filing mandate, and is honest that the remaining physical specifications are local. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Iowa court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Each appearance, notice, motion, or pleading must be captioned with the title of the case, naming the court, the parties, and the instrument (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

  2. 2

    The filing must bear the signature, personal identification number (PIN), address, and telephone number of the party or attorney, plus a facsimile number and e-mail address if available (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

  3. 3

    The caption of a petition must state whether the action is at law or in equity (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

  4. 4

    Page margins, font size, and line spacing are not fixed by Rule 1.411 and are set by your local court's rules.

  5. 5

    Filing is mandatory through the statewide Electronic Document Management System (EDMS); registered filers must e-file all documents except where the rules provide otherwise (Iowa R. Elec. P. ch. 16, 16.302).

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in Iowa, 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 IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR [COUNTY] COUNTY

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

[TITLE OF DOCUMENT, e.g. PETITION] [for a petition, state AT LAW or IN EQUITY per Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411]

[Body: page margins, font, and line spacing are set by your local court's rules. Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411 governs the caption and signature, not the physical body format.]

[NAME], signature Personal Identification Number (PIN): [PIN] [Address] [Telephone Number] [Facsimile Number / E-mail Address, if available] Attorney for [PARTY] / Self-Represented

Iowa Requirements for Pleading Paper

Caption contents

Each appearance, notice, motion, or pleading must be captioned with the title of the case naming the court, the parties, and the instrument (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

At law or equity designation

The caption of a petition must state whether the action is at law or in equity (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

Signature and identifying information

The filing must bear the signature, personal identification number (PIN), address, and telephone number of the party or attorney, plus a facsimile number and e-mail address if available (Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.411).

Body margins, font, and spacing

Page margins, font size, and line spacing are not fixed by Rule 1.411 and are set by your local court's rules.

Electronic filing

Filing is mandatory through the statewide Electronic Document Management System (EDMS); registered filers must e-file all documents except where the rules provide exceptions (Iowa R. Elec. P. ch. 16, 16.302).

Frequently Asked Questions

Under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.411, the caption must carry the title of the case naming the court, the parties, and the instrument. A petition's caption must also state whether the action is at law or in equity.

Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.411 requires the filing to bear the signature, personal identification number (PIN), address, and telephone number of the party or attorney filing it, plus a facsimile number and e-mail address if available.

Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 1.411 governs the caption and signature but does not fix page margins, font size, or line spacing. Those specifications are set by your local court's rules, so check the rules of the court where you are filing.

Yes. Under Iowa Rules of Electronic Procedure chapter 16, all attorneys and self-represented persons must register to use the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), and registered filers must electronically submit all documents except where the rules provide exceptions.