Missouri Pleading Paper Template
Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02 requires every pleading, motion, and filing to carry a caption with the court name, title of the civil action, file number, and a Rule 55.01 designation. Margins and font follow Rule 55.02 and local court rules.
Introduction
Missouri's statewide form requirement runs through Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02, which governs the caption of every filing. Under Rule 55.02, every pleading, motion, and other filing must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the civil action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 55.01. Missouri does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Rule 55.02 also addresses the form of electronic and paper filings, and paper documents are prepared in the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch format that the rule contemplates. Beyond the caption, the precise statewide margin width, type size, and line spacing for a given filing should be confirmed against the current text of Rule 55.02 and the local rules of the court where you file, rather than assumed. A filing whose caption omits the file number or the Rule 55.01 designation, or that ignores the court's format order, can be rejected or returned by the clerk. This page sets out what Rule 55.02 fixes for the caption and form of Missouri filings and points you to the rule and the local court for the remaining physical specifications, so you do not guess at a number the rule text does not plainly set. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Missouri court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
Missouri does not use numbered-line pleading paper. The statewide form rule is Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02.
- 2
Every pleading, motion, and other filing must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the civil action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 55.01 (Rule 55.02).
- 3
Rule 55.02 addresses the form of both electronic and paper filings; paper documents are prepared in the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch format the rule contemplates.
- 4
The precise statewide margin width, type size, and line spacing should be confirmed against the current text of Rule 55.02 and the local rules of the court where you file, rather than assumed.
- 5
Electronic filing through the Missouri eFiling System (Case.net) has been mandatory for attorneys; confirm the current scope for your court and case type.
- 6
Because the caption is the part Rule 55.02 fixes most plainly, confirm the court's own format requirements for margins and font before you file.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Pleading Paper in Missouri, 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 guideCustomize your Pleading Paper Template with DocDraft
Missouri Requirements for Pleading Paper
Every pleading, motion, and other filing must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the civil action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 55.01 (Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02).
Rule 55.02 addresses the form of both electronic and paper filings; paper documents are prepared in the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch format the rule contemplates.
Paper documents follow the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch format under Rule 55.02's paper-filing provisions. Confirm the current rule text for your court.
Confirm the precise margin width, type size, and line spacing against the current text of Rule 55.02 and the local rules of the court where you file, rather than assuming a generic statewide number.
Electronic filing through the Missouri eFiling System (Case.net) has been mandatory for attorneys. Confirm the current scope for your specific court and case type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02, every pleading, motion, and other filing must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the civil action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 55.01. The caption appears on the first page of the filing.
No. Missouri does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Court documents are formatted under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02, which fixes the caption and the form of electronic and paper filings but does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin.
Missouri Supreme Court Rule 55.02 governs the caption and the form of filings. Confirm the precise margin width and type size against the current text of Rule 55.02 and the local rules of the court where you file, since those specifications are not assumed from a generic statewide number.
Electronic filing through the Missouri eFiling System (Case.net) has been mandatory for attorneys. The exact scope depends on the court and case type, so confirm the current requirement for your specific court before filing.