Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Filing Rules

Complete every category in the affidavit; do not leave any blank.

The substitution of counsel must be filed at the time of the attorney’s move, and the newly designated counsel’s entry of appearance must be filed simultaneously.

A pleading requesting personal service on an opposing or newly added party must include a deposit set by the applicable authority to secure the reasonable cost of service.

A requester must provide security for copy-reproduction costs, unless the requester has filed a poverty affidavit.

An attorney who has appeared for a party must immediately provide the Court with the new practice’s name, address, and telephone number upon relocating to a new firm or address.

In domestic relations cases, the parties’ Social Security numbers must appear on a single one-page filing placed in two separate envelopes marked confidential, one for the court file and one for the Child Support Enforcement Agency.

A motion hearing may be scheduled one week earlier or later than the rules provide, but an earlier date requires approval from the Court and/or opposing counsel or the unrepresented opposing party.

A pleading, motion, or other application seeking relief or raising a defense must be accompanied by one additional copy for the Court marked “Court Copy” to be accepted for filing.

For a post-decree motion to modify custody or support, the responding party’s attorney must promptly contact opposing counsel upon retention and schedule a resolution meeting before the hearing; the Court may continue the hearing if counsel has not made a good-faith effort to resolve the motion.

A party may request that their current address or the children's address not be disclosed and that their address be placed under seal for protection.