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Virginia Pleading Paper Template

Virginia does not use numbered-line pleading paper. Under Rule 1:16, filed documents must be on 8.5 by 11 inch pages with all typed material double-spaced except quotations, and pleadings are filed in numbered paragraphs under Rule 1:4.

Introduction

What stands out in a Virginia filing is the page-and-spacing rule paired with numbered paragraphs. Under Rule 1:16 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia, all pleadings, motions, briefs, depositions, discovery, and other filed documents must be produced on pages 8.5 by 11 inches in size, and all typed material must be double-spaced except for quotations. Under Rule 1:4, pleadings are filed in numbered paragraphs, and counsel's signature, Virginia State Bar number, office address, telephone, email, and fax are required. Virginia does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin, so this is a court filing format rather than pleading paper. The numbered-paragraph requirement is not the same as numbered-line pleading paper: each allegation is set out in its own numbered paragraph, not against a line-numbered margin. A document on the wrong page size or single-spaced where double spacing is required can be rejected, which costs you a filing date you may need. This page covers the Rule 1:16 page and spacing specs and the Rule 1:4 numbered-paragraph and counsel-block requirements, and notes that margin width and font size are not fixed by these rules and are set by your local court's rules. Whether a given circuit court is mandatory or voluntary for e-filing under Rule 1:17 is set by the Office of the Executive Secretary, not by the filer. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Virginia court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Filed documents must be produced on pages 8.5 by 11 inches in size under Rule 1:16.

  2. 2

    All typed material must be double-spaced except for quotations under Rule 1:16.

  3. 3

    Pleadings are filed in numbered paragraphs under Rule 1:4, which is not the same as numbered-line pleading paper.

  4. 4

    Counsel's signature, Virginia State Bar number, office address, telephone, email, and fax are required under Rule 1:4.

  5. 5

    Virginia does not require consecutively numbered margin lines, so its filings are a court format rather than numbered-line pleading paper.

  6. 6

    Margin width and body font size are not fixed by Rule 1:16 or Rule 1:4 and are set by your local court's rules.

  7. 7

    Whether a given circuit court is mandatory or voluntary for e-filing under Rule 1:17 is set by the Office of the Executive Secretary (statewide VEFS/VJEFS systems), not by the filer.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in Virginia, 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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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF [CITY/COUNTY]

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

[TITLE OF DOCUMENT, e.g. COMPLAINT]

[Body formatted per Rule 1:16: pages 8.5 by 11 inches, all typed material double-spaced except quotations. Set out allegations in numbered paragraphs under Rule 1:4. Margin width and font size are set by your local court's rules.]

  1. [First numbered paragraph.]
  2. [Second numbered paragraph.]

[ATTORNEY OR SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY NAME] [Virginia State Bar No., if counsel] [Office Address / Telephone / Email / Fax] Counsel for [PARTY] / Self-Represented

Virginia Requirements for Pleading Paper

Page size

Filed documents must be produced on pages 8.5 by 11 inches in size under Rule 1:16 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Line spacing

All typed material must be double-spaced except for quotations under Rule 1:16.

Numbered paragraphs

Pleadings are filed in numbered paragraphs under Rule 1:4. This is not the same as numbered-line pleading paper; each allegation is set out in its own numbered paragraph.

Counsel block

Counsel's signature, Virginia State Bar number, office address, telephone, email, and fax are required under Rule 1:4.

Margins and font

Margin width and body font size are not fixed by Rule 1:16 or Rule 1:4 and are set by your local court's rules.

Electronic filing

Whether a given circuit court is mandatory or voluntary for e-filing under Rule 1:17 is set by the Office of the Executive Secretary (VEFS/VJEFS), not by the filer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Under Rule 1:16 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia, all typed material must be double-spaced except for quotations. The same rule requires that filed documents be produced on pages 8.5 by 11 inches in size.

No. Virginia does not require consecutively numbered lines down the left margin. Rule 1:4 requires pleadings to be filed in numbered paragraphs, but numbered paragraphs set out each allegation separately and are not the same as numbered-line pleading paper used in California or Nevada.

Rule 1:16 requires that all pleadings, motions, briefs, depositions, discovery, and other filed documents be produced on pages 8.5 by 11 inches in size. Margin width and font size are not fixed by the rule and are set by the local court's rules.

Under Rule 1:4, a pleading must include counsel's signature, Virginia State Bar number, office address, telephone number, email address, and fax. Pleadings are also filed in numbered paragraphs under the same rule.