Texas Pleading Paper Template
Texas trial-court pleadings follow Tex. R. Civ. P. 45: a plain and concise statement, on paper approximately 8.5 by 11 inches and signed by the party or attorney. The detailed font and margin specs apply to appellate briefs under Tex. R. App. P. 9.4.
Introduction
Texas does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Court filings go on plain letter-size paper with a proper caption, formatted under the rules covered here. Texas trial-court pleadings are governed by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 45, which is less about a fixed visual format and more about substance and the filing medium. Under Rule 45, pleadings in the district and county courts must consist of a statement in plain and concise language of the plaintiff's cause of action or the defendant's grounds of defense. Pleadings that are not filed electronically must be in writing, on paper measuring approximately 8.5 by 11 inches, and signed by the party or the party's attorney, and the use of recycled paper is strongly encouraged. Texas is not a numbered-line pleading-paper state, so there are no consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Importantly, the detailed font, margin, and line-spacing rules people often associate with Texas (14-point body text, double spacing, one-inch margins) come from Tex. R. App. P. 9.4 and apply to appellate briefs, not to trial-court pleadings under Rule 45. For a trial-court pleading, those visual specifics are set by the local rules of the court where you file and by the statewide eFileTexas standards. A pleading that is not on approximately letter-size paper, is unsigned, or ignores a local court's format order can be rejected. This page covers what Rule 45 requires and where the rest of the format comes from. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Texas court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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Trial-court pleadings must consist of a statement in plain and concise language of the cause of action or grounds of defense (Tex. R. Civ. P. 45).
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Pleadings not filed electronically must be in writing, on paper measuring approximately 8.5 by 11 inches, and signed by the party or the party's attorney; the use of recycled paper is strongly encouraged (Tex. R. Civ. P. 45).
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Texas is not a numbered-line pleading-paper state. Tex. R. Civ. P. 45 does not require consecutive line numbers down the left margin.
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The detailed 14-point font, double spacing, and one-inch margin specifications come from Tex. R. App. P. 9.4 and apply to appellate filings (briefs and petitions), not to trial-court pleadings under Rule 45.
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For trial-court pleadings, margin width, font, and line spacing are set by the local rules of the court where you file and by the statewide eFileTexas standards, because Rule 45 does not fix them.
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Most Texas civil filings by attorneys go through eFileTexas; the Rule 45 substance and signature requirements apply whether the document is filed on paper or electronically (see Tex. R. Civ. P. 21).
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Pleading Paper in Texas, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Pleading Paper guide walks through them.
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Texas Requirements for Pleading Paper
State the cause of action or grounds of defense in plain and concise language under Tex. R. Civ. P. 45.
Non-electronic pleadings must be in writing on paper measuring approximately 8.5 by 11 inches; the use of recycled paper is strongly encouraged (Tex. R. Civ. P. 45).
The pleading must be signed by the party or the party's attorney under Tex. R. Civ. P. 45.
Head the first page with the cause number, the parties, the court and judicial district, and the county and state, then the document title.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 45 does not fix a font, margin width, or line spacing for trial-court pleadings; follow the local rules of the court where you file. The detailed 14-point, double-spaced, one-inch-margin specs come from Tex. R. App. P. 9.4 and apply to appellate briefs.
Attorneys generally file Texas civil documents through eFileTexas; the Rule 45 substance and signature requirements apply whether the document is filed on paper or electronically (Tex. R. Civ. P. 21).
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Tex. R. Civ. P. 45, pleadings that are not filed electronically must be in writing, on paper measuring approximately 8.5 by 11 inches, and signed by the party or attorney. The rule also strongly encourages the use of recycled paper.
Tex. R. Civ. P. 45 does not fix a font size, margin width, or line spacing for trial-court pleadings. Those are set by the local rules of the court where you file. The 14-point, double-spaced, one-inch-margin specs apply to appellate briefs under Tex. R. App. P. 9.4.
No. The 14-point body text, double spacing, and one-inch margin requirements come from Tex. R. App. P. 9.4, which governs appellate briefs and petitions. Trial-court pleadings are governed by Tex. R. Civ. P. 45, which does not set those visual specifications.
No. Texas does not require consecutive line numbers down the left margin. Tex. R. Civ. P. 45 requires a plain and concise statement, approximately 8.5 by 11 inch paper for non-electronic filings, and the party or attorney signature.