court-formatting

name	court-formatting
title	Court Document Formatting
description	Standardizes U.S. court-filing formatting for pleadings, motions, and briefs. Enforces caption structure, margins, fonts, spacing, pagination, line numbering, and e-filing constraints. Use when formatting court documents, preparing filings, or validating local-rules compliance.
author	CaseMark
author_url	https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/court-formatting
license	Apache-2.0
version	0.1.0
execution_mode	open
jurisdiction	us
practice	litigation
language	en

Court Document Formatting

Apply court formatting requirements using a local-rules-first workflow. Local rules and judge-specific standing orders always control over baselines.

Prerequisites

Gather before starting:

1. Court, division, and governing rule set (FRCP/FRAP/state + local rules)
2. Case number and full party names
3. Document type (pleading, motion, brief, notice, etc.)
4. Judge's individual practices or standing orders
5. E-filing portal requirements and file-size limits
6. Required certificates (service, word count, compliance)

Core Workflow

Step 1 — Identify Controlling Sources

Collect in priority order:

1. Judge's individual practices / standing orders
2. Local rules
3. General rules (FRCP/FRAP/state)
4. Court-provided forms or templates
5. E-filing portal requirements

Step 2 — Apply Baseline Formatting

Apply defaults, then override per local rule:

Element	Default	Override by
Paper	8.5 × 11"	Local rule
Margins	1" all sides	Local rule
Font	12 pt serif (e.g., Times New Roman)	Local rule
Body spacing	Double-spaced	Local rule
Pagination	Consecutive page numbers	Local rule
Line numbers	If required by jurisdiction	Local rule
Block quotes	Single-spaced, indented	Local rule
Footnotes	Single-spaced, same or smaller font	Local rule

Step 3 — Build the Caption

Required elements (verify each against docket):

• Court name (full official name)
• Division (if applicable)
• Party names (exactly as on docket)
• Case number
• Document title
• Filing party designation (if required)
• Assigned judge / magistrate (if required)

Template:

IN THE [COURT NAME]
[DIVISION, IF APPLICABLE]

[PLAINTIFF NAME],                     )
     Plaintiff,                       )
v.                                    )   Case No. [NUMBER]
[DEFENDANT NAME],                     )
     Defendant.                       )

[DOCUMENT TITLE]