Knox County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Each document must reserve a blank space at least 1.25 inches high in the upper-right corner of its front page for date and time stamps.

Filers must leave a blank margin space no less than 1.25 inches high at the top right corner of the front page of each document for date and time stamps.

CRITICAL

PDF files combined in a single transmission may not exceed 30 megabytes.

No combination of PDF files in one transmission may accumulate to more than thirty megabytes (30MB) in size.

CRITICAL

Every Civil Protection Order must be filed on the appropriate Supreme Court form.

Every Civil Protection Order shall be filed on the appropriate Supreme Court Form.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Third party signed document

A document bearing third-party signatures must be e-filed only as a scanned image of the original signed document.

Documents containing signatures of third-parties (i.e., unopposed motions, affidavits, stipulations, etc.) shall be electronically filed only as a scanned image of the original signed document.

CRITICAL

Submit the entry or order in Word format by email.

The entry/order shall also be submitted in Word Format via e-mail.

CRITICAL

Submitted forms must be originals, photocopies of prescribed forms, or produced using Ohio Public Defender software.

Forms submitted must be originals or photocopies of forms prescribed, or be produced using the software issued by the Ohio Public Defender.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Electronically filed documents, pleadings, and papers must be submitted to the clerk in PDF, except for proposed orders.

All electronically filed documents, pleadings, and papers shall be filed with the clerk in portable document format (PDF) with the exception of proposed orders.

CRITICAL

After filing, a pleading or motion may not be amended by interlineation or obliteration without prior Court approval.

After a pleading or motion has been filed, there shall be no amendments by interlineation or obliteration except by prior approval of the Court.

CRITICAL

When using a pre-printed subpoena form, obliterate the Clerk of Court and Seal information and replace “Deputy Clerk” with the attorney’s name and represented party.

If the pre-printed subpoena form is used, the Clerk of Court and Seal information in the lower right-hand portion of the subpoena shall be obliterated, and the Deputy Clerk title under the signature line shall be replaced with the attorney's name and party the attorney is representing (e.g., John Q. Public, Attorney for Plaintiff).

CRITICAL

Pleadings, motions, and judgment entries must not be submitted two-sided for filing.

1.05 No two-sided pleadings, motions, or judgment entries shall be accepted by the Clerk of Courts for filing.

CRITICAL

Orders appointing Custody Evaluators must substantially comply with the form order in Item 14 of the Appendix.

Pursuant to Superintendence Rule 91.05, all orders appointing Custody Evaluators shall substantially comply with the Order set forth in Item 14 of the Appendix to this Rule.

CRITICAL

The applicable case-caption legend must be in 12-point bold type, subject to the stated scope and exceptions.

(B) This rule shall not apply to tax foreclosure actions, or to any case in which the amount of taxes and special assessments of a parcel of real property is at issue. In cases other than tax foreclosures, the case caption shall contain the legend "Taxes Contested" or "With Cross-Claim Contesting Taxes" in 12 point bold type, in a manner substantially similar to the following examples:

CRITICAL

Counsel entering an appearance in a criminal case must use a Court-approved form.

In criminal cases, entry of appearance by counsel shall be on a form approved by the Court.

CRITICAL

An attorney’s subpoena-service fees may not be charged as a Court cost, and the return of service must not include fees for service, mileage, or copies.

Therefore, the Clerk shall not charge as a Court cost to a case any fees for service of a subpoena by an attorney, and the return of service shall not include any fees for service, mileage, or copies.

CRITICAL

A party may file written objections to the Court and must serve all other parties within 14 days of the decision's filing date.

A party may file written objections to a parenting coordinator's decision with the Court and serve all other parties to the action within fourteen days of the filing date of the decision.

CRITICALCivil cases

Every Civil Protection Order must be filed on the appropriate Supreme Court Form.

Every Civil Protection Order shall be filed on the appropriate Supreme Court Form.

CRITICAL

Only black-and-white documents are accepted; color documents are not accepted.

Only black and white documents shall be accepted. No color documents shall be accepted.

CRITICAL

Any response by the parenting coordinator must be in writing.

The parenting coordinator has fourteen days from the date of the receipt of the comment/complaint to respond in writing to the Magistrate.

CRITICAL

A document requiring an attorney's or filing party's signature must use either a blue- or black-ink paper signature scanned to PDF or an electronic conformed “/s/ (name)” signature.

Documents filed electronically with the clerk that require an attorney's or filing party's signature shall be signed either in original format in blue or black ink on a paper document and scanned to PDF, or with an electronic conformed signature of "/s/ (name)."

CRITICAL

Entries submitted with motions must also be submitted in Word Format as an attachment by email or e-filing when applicable.

All such entries submitted shall also be submitted in Word Format via e-mail or e-filing as an attachment when applicable.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Pleadings must be filed as searchable PDFs, not as scanned-image documents.

A filed pleading shall not be filed as a scanned image document. Such pleadings shall be filed in a PDF format that permits word searches.

CRITICAL

The return of service must identify Personal or Residential service in the lower left-hand portion and replace the Sheriff and Deputy signature lines with one line for the attorney serving the subpoena.

The return of service shall clearly indicate in the lower left-hand portion of the subpoena the type of service perfected (Personal or Residential), and the signature lines for "Sheriff" and "Deputy" shall be replaced with one signature line for the attorney serving the subpoena.

CRITICAL

A continuance motion filed after a cause is set for hearing must be in writing, except in emergencies or when the Court acts on its own motion.

15.1 Form. Except in cases of emergency or by order of the Court on its own motion, a motion for a continuance of a cause after it has been set for hearing must be in writing.

CRITICAL

Each document is limited to 10 megabytes.

Documents shall be limited to ten megabytes (10MB) in size.

CRITICAL

Do not make interlineations, deletions, or additions to a signed entry or order without prior Court approval.

Once an entry or order has been signed by the Court, absolutely no interlineation, deletions or additions are to be made without prior approval of the Court.

CRITICAL

Documents must be submitted at a resolution of at least 300 DPI.

Documents shall be submitted in a resolution not less than 300 dots per inch (DPI).

CRITICAL

Applies to

Proposed order

Format

DOCX

A proposed order must be submitted in Word format and identify the specific motion to which it applies.

Proposed orders must be submitted in Word [.doc or .docx] and reference the specific motion to which it applies.

CRITICAL

Pleadings must be double-spaced and use 12-point Georgia, Times New Roman, or Arial font; single-spaced pleadings are not accepted.

All pleadings shall be double-spaced, in 12pt Georgia, Times New Roman or Arial font. No single spaced pleadings shall be accepted for filing.

CRITICAL

Financial affidavits must use the format and include the information required for temporary support orders, and must comply with Local Rule 8.0.

The financial affidavits shall be in the same format and include the same information as required for temporary support orders and must adhere to Local Rule 8.0 requirements.

CRITICAL

Hours on all forms must be itemized in one-tenth-hour, or six-minute, increments.

Hours must be itemized on all forms in tenth of an hour (6 minute) increments.

CRITICAL

Filed documents may not contain links to other documents or case-management-system references unless incorporated into the filing, and external links must be removed before filing.

A filed document shall not contain links to other documents or references in the court's case management system, unless they are incorporated into the filed document. External links must be removed from all documents prior to filing.

WARNING

The form shall substantially conform with the format as shown on page 23.

The form shall substantially conform with the format as shown on page 23.

WARNING

A submission of a proposed decree or proposed findings and conclusions must also include an emailed Word-formatted version.

Such submission shall also include an e-mailed Word Formatted version.

WARNING

Submitted forms must be original or photocopied prescribed forms, or produced using Ohio Public Defender software.

All forms submitted must be originals or photocopies of forms prescribed by the Ohio Public Defender, or be produced using the software issued by the Ohio Public Defender.

WARNING

Jury questionnaires must not include jurors’ addresses or telephone numbers.

Jury questionnaires shall not include addresses or telephone numbers of jurors

WARNING

The jury-service notice and questionnaire must be phrased so they are readily understandable to people unfamiliar with the legal and jury systems.

The notice summoning a person to jury service and the questionnaire eliciting essential information regarding that person shall be: - 1. Phrased in a manner readily understandable by an individual unfamiliar with the legal and jury systems;

WARNING

If directed by the Court or Magistrate, counsel must submit the proposed findings and conclusions with a copy in Word format by email.

When a request for findings of fact and conclusions of law is made, the Court or Magistrate may direct each counsel to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, with a copy in Word Format via e-mail.

INFO

Form OPD-1028 is the suggested time-log format, but attorneys may use their own forms or billing programs if they can produce equivalent data upon request.

The suggested format for maintaining such time is on form OPD-1028: Attorney Time Log. Attorneys may use their own forms or billing programs so long as equivalent data can be produced, if requested.

INFO

An attorney may issue a subpoena as an officer of the Court without the Clerk’s endorsement and seal.

Pursuant to Civil Rule 45(A)(2), an attorney may issue a subpoena as an officer of the Court and without the endorsement and seal of the Clerk of Court.

INFO

Format

PAPER

Parties should print documents from a CD or USB that can be printed and file them on paper.

The party should print out any documents from the cd or USB that can be printed and filed on paper