Court Papers and How to Format Them
When you want something in court, you have to write up your request in proper format. Getting the format right makes your request seem more reasonable! There are lots of rules about the legal arguments and citations, but the one thing that makes you look silly is not knowing how to format your documents to be acceptable in court.
At the top of the front page, before your eloquent argument, you need a header. At the end of your document, after your eloquent argument, you need a footer. Courts vary on the style here, but in Louisville/Jefferson County, we can help.
Below are several different formats for courts operating in Jefferson County, Kentucky, both federal and state. State courts are divided into district courts (including small claims, probate, and civil district court) and circuit courts (civil and criminal). There is also a state court of appeals and the United State District Court.
Headers should include the name of the court, case number, division, names of parties and the title of the motion or pleading: Jefferson Circuit is different from other courts. Out in the state the circuit court header is the same as the district court headers. Here are a few Louisville samples:
Jefferson Circuit Court Motion Header (.pdf)
Jefferson Circuit Court Motion Header (.doc)
Jefferson District Court Motion Header (.pdf)
Jefferson District Court Motion Header (.doc)
Footers: Footers come after your brilliant argument and include your signature, address, telephone number and, perhaps, email address and a certificate that you served copies on all the other people in the case. These look like this:
Got a question? Perhaps a limited representation is what you need. Take a look here.
