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.
Comply With the Relevant Federal, State, and Local Rules. Research Before Writing. Allege Subject Matter Jurisdiction, Personal Jurisdiction, and Venue. Jurisdiction. Draft Concise and Plain Statement of the Facts. Factual Allegations. Draft Separate Counts for Each Legal Claim. Plead Facts With Particularity Where Necessary.
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.
The body of the text must be double spaced with a minimum distance of 7/32 of an inch (0.5556 cm.) between each line of text. Footnotes and long, indented quotations may be single spaced, but must be in type that is 12-point or larger in height, with at least 1/16 of an inch (0.158 cm.) between each line of text.
You can also ask your court's Self-Help Center or public law library for a sample or blank pleading paper.
Pleading form with 28 lines.
Pleading form with 28 lines.
Font size; printing. Unless otherwise specified in these rules, all papers filed must be prepared using a font size not smaller than 12 points.
The key to drafting a successful pleading is to make sure that you have a clear idea of what the claims are that your client is making and relevant proof for each of those claims. Then you should state the events in a chronological and logical order.