1. Pleading paper is the paper used for documents submitted to the court and is numbered down the left hand side. It contains information about your case as well as the text of the filing you are turning in to the court.
In situations where there is no pre-printed court form, court paperwork must be submitted on pleading paper. For many common situations, there are pre-printed forms created by the Judicial Council or the county superior court that you can use instead.
California Judicial Council Forms are pre approved pleadings for filing with the Court.
Draft your pleading on legal paper and include your identifying information and a caption that states the involved parties and case number. Draft the body with numbered paragraphs, double spacing, clear headings, and page numbers. Include a certificate of service in your submission.
Start a case Form NameForm NumberGuide Plaintiff's Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court SC-100 Fill out forms to start a small claims case Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Attachment to Plaintiff's Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court) SC-100A Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) SC-103 3 more rows
To start aligning your text, use exact line spacing instead of single or double spacing. The pleading line number spacing is set to exactly 24 pt, so you have to ensure that the side numbering matches the spacing of the text, which should also be set to 24-point spacing.
You can also ask your court's Self-Help Center or public law library for a sample or blank pleading paper.
You can use different font styles (type, size, and color) and increased spacing to visually distinguish your headings from the body text of the document. Delete unnecessary words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages. While writing, seek to only include information that is essential for your audience to know.
You'll want to start with a standard page size (8.5 x 11 inches) with 1-inch margins. Keep the font simple, such as Times New Roman, and avoid the use of color. Remember to break up text with headers and paragraphs for readability.
(A) When an electronic filer seeks to file an electronic document consisting of more than 10 files, or when the document cannot or should not be electronically filed in multiple files, or when electronically filing the document would cause undue hardship, the document must not be electronically filed but must be ...