Understanding Pleading Paper: Your Complete Guide

What is Pleading Paper?

Legal pleading paper is a special type of paper used by lawyers, during litigation for the development of legal documents. The form of this paper has remained virtually unchanged since the 19th century.
The purpose of using the same type of paper in all documents for a specific court is to keep court records consistent. The purpose of legal pleadings is to make it easy for courts to read and follow the procedures. Legal pleading paper has several distinct specifications and standards. First, legal pleading paper has to have a top, bottom, and left margin that is 1 inch. The right side, however, is only allowed to have a ½ inch margin . Next, the font has to be a minimum of 12 point font, and single spaced. If a document is single spaced, the line spacing can’t be less than 3/60ths of an inch. Another requirement for legal paper is that all the text has to be in black ink on white paper, with a smooth finish. Legal pleading paper will come in two sizes; ‘Legal’ paper is 8.5" x 14" and Letter paper is 8.5" x 11". The appearance of legal paper is the same on all sides. This is unlike regular computer paper which is only printed on one side (except when it has stuff printed on the back like advertisements). Legal paper is not to be used for junk mail, or ads.

Characteristics of Pleading Paper

The key features that define legal pleading paper include its demarcated margin lines, its standard size, a clear typographical indication of the title of the document, and the use of a clear typeface. Each of these sets it apart from what is often referred to as "ordinary motion paper," which does not have the same strict formatting requirements.
Legal pleading paper is predominantly 8.5 x 11 inches, though the State Bar has noted that "while the Board has stated that the paper must be in the standard letter (or A4) form factor, different with some paper vendors, all of whom shall ensure they are in compliance with the Board’s formatting requirements." It is lined with horizontal [and sometimes vertical] margin lines that identify different portions of the document, with the title of the case at the top, the name of the party serving the document below that, and an opposing party to the right of it. There are margin lines for the body of the document, and those that frame the signature lines for the attorneys for both plaintiffs and defendants.
The margins on the first page must be 1 inch from the side and top, and then 2.5 from the bottom. In all other subsequent pages, margins must be 1 inch from all sides, and 1 inch at the bottom of the page.
Rule 3.1110(b) requires that "[e]ach line of the first line of text of the body of the document must begin on a boldly printed margin line that is first above the left margin line. The body of the text must then proceed to each of the following boldly printed margin lines. Each succeeding line of the body of the document must start on the margin line immediately below the margin line used on the line immediately above it."
The signature lines must be "two spaces below the last line of type and the text proceeding and thereafter 4 spaces between the lines" ([Rule 3.1110(c)]). The party offering the document must sign or initial the first copy of the document, as well as the first copy of each subsequent page of the document.

Using Pleading Paper

In the legal world, pleadings are a term-of-art for a written statement that begins the process of litigation. A pleading must be filed with the court, and it must be written on legal plead paper. Many states have laws mandating that court pleadings be written on legal pleading paper. Different states have different formats, but the common denominator is to have the text begin 1- or 3-inches from the top. Some states has laws that strictly dictate how far down you should write from the top, so be sure to check your state laws.
Writing on legal pleading paper requires that you keep the margins at 1-inch from the left side of the page and 1-inch from the bottom of the page. You must also use single-spacing only to separate the address of the person filing the document and the court information from the text itself. After the address and title, you may single space your text. If you wish to indent paragraphs or sentences, you may do so. Also, put the caption at the top of the page, unless it’s a complaint (in which case it should be in the middle of the page. Finally, you’ll want to leave an area at the bottom of the page to allow for the docket stamp.

Where to Acquire Pleading Paper

Legal pleading paper can be purchased from several online sources both in a single ream or case quantity. Online suppliers include The Legal Connection, SupplieZone.com, Office Depot and Staples. Local suppliers include Office Depot, Staples, Office Max and Paper & More (based in Southern California). Before purchasing legal pleading paper , consider ordering free samples. Many online suppliers will supply customers with a sample of legal pleading paper. Having a sample of legal pleading paper will allow a customer to view the quality of the product before committing to a larger purchase and also allow the customer to see how the product will actually look when printed on prior to making a big purchase.

Myths and Misconceptions About Pleading Paper

An example of this is about the color of legal pleading paper – it has to be "green," the myth goes. But the truth is, you can use any color paper you like, and that includes yellow, white, blue, brown, pink, manila, blue-green, greenish blue, dark green, pale green, bluish green, aquamarine, pale aqua, light aqua, dark aqua, like new, used, recycled, and on and on and on. The requirements surrounding using green legal paper are set forth in California Code of Civil Procedure § 396, but what’s not in § 396 is an absolute requirement that the paper must be green; it just says that the paper has to have a "light green tint." That’s all it says. Some courts require light blue tinted paper. The blue paper, however, is usually reserved for continuing cases. Most courts want light green for all new and original cases.
Keep in mind that the only times that the color of your legal pleading papers is an issue are (1) when the filings are loose papers in a case file or (2) when the filing admissions clerk notices that the paper you filed does not comply with the color code and later gets a notice of noncompliance delivered to you. No one else in the courthouse you probably contacted or dealt with on a day-to-day basis cares what color paper you used. Courts are far more concerned with things like deadlines than the color of the paper being used. Therefore, the focus should be on meeting deadlines rather than the color of your paper.
The most common forms of legal papers that have to be filed by attorneys include: pleadings, depositions, discovery requests and responses, motions, orders, briefs, and other documents. A few of these legal documents are required by law to be typed on legal pleading paper in order to be properly filed and processed by the court clerk’s office. Because legal motions and pleadings are the most frequently filed, the majority of the information below will hone in on those documents.

Practical Advice for Legal Professionals

Practical tips for legal professionals using pleading paper
Several courts, including several of the larger ones, such as New York, New Jersey and California, provide plaintiffs with information on the specific formatting requirements for their legal documents and pleadings. Here are some general tips that might be useful:
Use an Efficient Word Processing Package. Most people are familiar with the most popular word processing packages, which are easy to use and extremely effective at formatting documents. However, there are a number of free programs out there. Some of these programs are extremely efficient and can save you a great deal of time. Also, if your computer has clipboard software, be sure to save yourself a few clicks offsetting the text before pasting it into your pleading document. Not only does this give you the opportunity to insert line numbers and pre-adjust font size and spacing, but also it will keep the font attributes and block paragraph styles from being pasted into your document.
Make Use of Templates. Every legal program has a standard set of pleadings and templates for each jurisdiction. You can find these online very easily, by searching the help function within the program, or by asking someone who is familiar with them . Once the pleadings are downloaded, make copies of the ones that you use most often. Try to create pleading templates for sections of motions that you use regularly, such as supporting affidavit templates or notices of motion.
Shortcuts. You don’t have to include all death penalty issues in every single pleading. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should not run lines 1 through 30 if the first paragraph of your motion is already on line 31. Therefore, try to keep the first paragraph of your motion as far down as possible. In addition, when you start a new motion, you do not have to scroll down and manually count the lines. Most word processing packages have a "go to" function that allows you to jump to a specific line number. Also, knowing what the specific page number for a docket generally makes it much easier to determine where you will need to stop or continue later.
When you’re typing in the caption, if you want to stop for whatever reason and come back to it, use the "set bookmark" function so you can easily find it later. Likewise, when you’re typing a long paragraph, try inserting a page break in front of it. This will make it easy to locate.