Pennsylvania Pleading Paper Template
Pennsylvania civil filings need at least one-inch margins on all four sides plus a three-inch blank space at the top of the first sheet for court stampings, in 12-point or larger type, double-spaced, on 8.5 by 11 paper under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1.
Introduction
The detail that catches filers off guard in Pennsylvania is the first-page top space. Under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 204.1, every legal paper carries margins of at least one inch on all four sides, but the first sheet must also reserve a three-inch space at the top for the court's stampings and filing notices. Pennsylvania does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Instead, Rule 204.1 fixes the physical form: type no smaller than 12 points with clear and legible lettering, double spacing (quotations longer than two lines may be indented and single-spaced), and 8.5 by 11 inch white paper of good quality with text on only one side of each page, except that exhibits and supporting documents may be printed on both sides. Documents must be firmly bound. The caption itself is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 1018, which sets the court, the county, the term and number, and the names of the parties. Filing with the prothonotary is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 205.2, and the prothonotary may not refuse a paper that conforms to the statewide rules. A filing that crowds the reserved three-inch top space, uses undersized type, or arrives on the wrong paper can be returned. This page lays out the Rule 204.1 margins, the three-inch first-page reserve, type size, spacing, and paper so your document meets Pennsylvania's form requirements. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Pennsylvania court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
Pennsylvania filings need margins of at least one inch on all four sides, plus a three-inch space reserved at the top of the first sheet for court stampings and filing notices (Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1).
- 2
Pennsylvania does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1 governs the physical form of legal papers, not a line-numbered left margin.
- 3
Type must be no smaller than 12 points, and the lettering must be clear and legible under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1.
- 4
Text must be double-spaced under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1, except that quotations more than two lines long may be indented and single-spaced.
- 5
Papers must be 8.5 by 11 inch white paper of good quality, with lettering on only one side of a page (exhibits and supporting documents may be on both sides), and the document must be firmly bound (Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1).
- 6
The caption is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 1018: the court, the county, the term and number, and the names of the parties.
- 7
Filing is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 205.2, under which the prothonotary may not refuse a paper that complies with the statewide rules. Mandatory e-filing is adopted county by county under Pa.R.Civ.P. 205.4 and local rules.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Pleading Paper in Pennsylvania, 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
Pennsylvania Requirements for Pleading Paper
Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1 requires margins of at least one inch on all four sides of every legal paper.
The first sheet must reserve a three-inch space at the top for the court's stampings and filing notices under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1, so the body of the first page begins below that reserve.
Type must be no smaller than 12 points, with lettering that is clear and legible, under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1.
Text must be double-spaced under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1, except that quotations more than two lines long may be indented and single-spaced.
Papers must be 8.5 by 11 inch white paper of good quality, with lettering on only one side (exhibits and supporting documents may be on both sides), and the document must be firmly bound (Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1).
The caption is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 1018 and sets the court, the county, the term and number, and the names of the parties.
Filing is governed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 205.2, under which the prothonotary may not refuse a paper that complies with the statewide rules.
Mandatory electronic filing is adopted county by county under Pa.R.Civ.P. 205.4 and local rules, so confirm whether the county of filing requires e-filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1, legal papers must have margins of at least one inch on all four sides. In addition, the first sheet must reserve a three-inch space at the top for the court's stampings and filing notices, so the body of the first page begins below that reserve.
No. Pennsylvania does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1 sets the physical form of legal papers, including margins, 12-point or larger type, double spacing, and paper, but it does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin.
Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1 requires type no smaller than 12 points, with lettering that is clear and legible. The rule fixes a minimum size rather than a specific typeface, so any clear and legible font at 12 points or larger satisfies it.
Under Pa.R.Civ.P. 204.1, legal papers must be on 8.5 by 11 inch white paper of good quality, with lettering on only one side of a page, except that exhibits and supporting documents may appear on both sides. The document must also be firmly bound.