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South Carolina Pleading Paper Template

South Carolina civil filings need a blank margin of at least one inch on all sides, minimum twelve-point type for captions, text, and footnotes, and at least one-and-one-half line spacing, on 8.5 by 11 paper under SCRCP 10(d).

Introduction

South Carolina backs its format rule with a hard consequence: under SCRCP Rule 10(e), the clerk shall not file papers that are not prepared in accordance with the rule, except for listed exhibits. That makes the Rule 10(d) physical specifications worth getting right the first time. South Carolina does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Rule 10(d) instead requires a blank margin of a minimum of one inch on all sides, a minimum size of twelve-point type for captions, text, and footnotes, and line spacing of not less than one and one-half, except for indented quotations or footnotes. Papers must be eight and one-half by eleven inches, except for court-approved forms. The caption is set by SCRCP Rule 10(a): the name of the State and County, the name of the Court, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 7(a). In the summons and complaint the title names all the parties. Because the clerk can decline a noncompliant filing, an undersized font, a single-spaced body, or a too-narrow margin can keep your document from being filed at all. This page lays out the Rule 10(d) margins, type size, line spacing, and paper, plus the Rule 10(a) caption, so your filing meets South Carolina's form requirements. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted South Carolina court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Under SCRCP 10(e), the clerk shall not file papers that are not prepared in accordance with the rule, except for listed exhibits. A noncompliant format can stop a filing from being accepted.

  2. 2

    South Carolina does not use numbered-line pleading paper. SCRCP 10 governs the caption and physical form, not a line-numbered left margin.

  3. 3

    Filings need a blank margin of a minimum of one inch on all sides under SCRCP 10(d).

  4. 4

    Type must be a minimum size of twelve points for captions, text, and footnotes under SCRCP 10(d).

  5. 5

    Line spacing must be not less than one and one-half between lines, except for indented quotations or footnotes (SCRCP 10(d)).

  6. 6

    Papers must be eight and one-half by eleven inches, except for court-approved forms (SCRCP 10(d)).

  7. 7

    The caption is governed by SCRCP 10(a): the name of the State and County, the name of the Court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. The summons and complaint title names all the parties.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in South Carolina, 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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STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ) IN THE COURT OF [COMMON PLEAS] ) COUNTY OF [COUNTY] ) [CIRCUIT / JUDICIAL CIRCUIT] ) [PLAINTIFF NAME], ) Case No. [FILE NUMBER] Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) [TITLE OF DOCUMENT] ) [DEFENDANT NAME], ) Defendant. )

[Caption per SCRCP 10(a): the name of the State and County, the name of the Court, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 7(a). The summons and complaint title names all parties.]

[Body formatted per SCRCP 10(d): blank margin of a minimum of one inch on all sides, minimum twelve-point type for captions, text, and footnotes, line spacing of not less than one and one-half (except indented quotations or footnotes), on 8.5 by 11 inch paper.]

Respectfully submitted,

[SIGNATURE] [NAME / SC BAR NUMBER if attorney] [ADDRESS] [TELEPHONE] [EMAIL]

Dated: [DATE]

South Carolina Requirements for Pleading Paper

Margins

A blank margin of a minimum of one inch is required on all sides under SCRCP 10(d).

Font size

Type must be a minimum size of twelve points for captions, text, and footnotes under SCRCP 10(d).

Line spacing

Line spacing must be not less than one and one-half between lines, except for indented quotations or footnotes (SCRCP 10(d)).

Paper size

Papers must be eight and one-half by eleven inches, except for court-approved forms (SCRCP 10(d)).

Caption contents

Under SCRCP 10(a), the caption sets the name of the State and County, the name of the Court, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 7(a). The summons and complaint title names all parties.

Clerk refusal of noncompliant papers

Under SCRCP 10(e), the clerk shall not file papers that are not prepared in accordance with the rule, except for listed exhibits, so a noncompliant format can prevent acceptance.

Statewide e-filing

South Carolina operates a statewide mandatory electronic filing system for circuit court (Common Pleas and General Sessions) cases under South Carolina Supreme Court e-filing policies, so confirm e-filing requirements for your case type before filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Under SCRCP 10(d), South Carolina filings must have a blank margin of a minimum of one inch on all sides. The same rule sets twelve-point type and at least one-and-one-half line spacing, and the clerk may decline a paper that does not comply.

No. South Carolina does not use numbered-line pleading paper. SCRCP 10 sets the caption and physical form, including one-inch margins, twelve-point type, and one-and-one-half line spacing, but it does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin.

SCRCP 10(d) requires a minimum size of twelve-point type for captions, text, and footnotes. The rule sets a minimum size rather than a particular typeface, so any legible font at twelve points or larger for those elements satisfies it.

Yes. Under SCRCP 10(e), the clerk shall not file papers that are not prepared in accordance with the rule, except for listed exhibits. A filing with an undersized font, single spacing, or too-narrow margins can be declined for that reason.