(a) Format Requirements. All pleadings, motions, and other papers filed with the court shall be legibly written or printed. The use of letter-size paper (8-1/2 by 11 inches) is mandatory. The writing or printing shall appear on only one side of the page.
Type the Name and Address of the Judge or Court Staff On the next line below the name, include the name of the court in which the judge presides, such as "San Francisco Superior Court" or "United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit." Directly under the name, include the judge's address, city, state and ZIP code.
Follow the order of this format, leaving a space in between each section: Your Information (first thing that goes on the inside of the letter) Name. The Date. The Judge's Information. Honorable Judge First Name Last Name. What the Letter Is Going to Address. Salutation. Body. Signature.
Format full mailing address of the sender. date on which letter is written. address of person to whom letter is addressed. subject line. salutation. body (the main message) complimentary closing. signature line (be sure to sign your letter)
III. Tips for Writing a Winning Declaration. Don't Use the Subjoined Fill-In-The-Blank Declaration Forms. Be Thorough. Tell a Story. Show Rather Than Tell. Declarations Should Contain Firsthand Knowledge, Not Secondhand. Submit 3rd Party Supporting Declarations. Be Concise. Gather Lots of Supporting Documents.
Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph. Outline your relationship with the person who is the subject of the legal proceedings. Acknowledge the charges that have been brought against the person. State your opinion of the person's general character.
Many Washington State courts have a public access terminal in the courthouse where you can view JIS public record case information such as an index of filed cases and a list of documents filed in each case. Contact your local court to see if they have a public access terminal.
Letters from non-lawyers to judges are absolutely to be avoided. They are inappropriate and violate many rules regarding proper communication with judges. Some letters may be in violation of criminal law that prohibits improper efforts to influenc...
Determine What is “Relevant” to Your Case First, determine what is most important to you. Second, organize your declaration. Third, proofread & condense. Know what your audience is focused on. Tell the truth. Anticipate opposing party's response. Advocate for yourself. Use proof to validate your case.
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.