Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Ohio Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

A document requiring an original signature, such as an affidavit or other notarized document, must be e-filed as a PDF.

Documents requiring an original signature, such as an affidavit or other notarized documents shall be e-filed in a .pdf format.

CRITICAL

Exhibits must have an appropriate exhibit sticker, with numbers for plaintiffs’ exhibits and letters for defendants’ exhibits.

All exhibits shall be marked with an appropriate exhibit sticker, using numbers for plaintiffs and letters for defendants.

CRITICAL

Margins

top 2 in

Pleadings, motions, and other filings must use the specified language, paper, printing, spacing, font-size, and top-of-page requirements, subject to stylistically appropriate variation for spacing and font size.

(A) Paper, Spacing and Font: All pleadings, motions, and other filings, e-filed or otherwise, must be in English, typewritten, or legibly printed on letter sized (8½" x 11") white paper and single sided only. Typed documents must be double-spaced with a minimum 12-point font and a maximum 14-point font. Each page submitted must be spaced two (2) inches from the top of the page for time stamping. Where stylistically appropriate, such as in block quotations and in footnotes, the spacing and font size may vary from this standard.

CRITICAL

E-filed documents may be submitted as PDFs, but proposed orders or entries must use the court-specified format or, absent one, a Microsoft Word Compatible format.

All e-filed documents, pleadings, and papers can be filed with the clerk in PDF format, except for proposed orders/proposed entries. Proposed orders/entries shall be submitted in a format specified by the court. If there is no format specified by the court, then proposed orders/entries shall be submitted in a Microsoft Word Compatible format.

CRITICAL

Exhibits, transcripts, and other documents that cannot be comprehensibly viewed in PDF must be submitted to the court in physical form.

Any exhibit, transcript, or other documents that may not be comprehensibly viewed in PDF format shall be submitted in their physical form with the court.

CRITICAL

An e-filing may contain only one document; multiple exhibits or appendices do not count as separate documents.

Only one document is permitted to be filed by e-filing. Multiple exhibits or appendices are not considered separate documents under this rule.

CRITICAL

Filed documents must not contain links to other documents or CMS references unless incorporated into the document, and external links are prohibited.

A filed document shall not contain links to other documents or references to the CMS, unless they are incorporated into the filed documents. External links are prohibited.

CRITICAL

An e-filed document may not exceed 70 megabytes.

E-filed document size is limited to 70 megabytes (70 MB).

CRITICAL

The title or caption entered into the e-filing system must match the document’s own title or caption.

The title or caption of a document entered into the e-filing system shall match the title or caption noted on the document itself.

CRITICAL

The Clerk of Courts will not accept filings with double-sided pages, carbon paper, or inadequate margins or space for the judge’s signature.

The Clerk of Courts shall not accept filings that include double-sided pages, carbon paper, or inadequate margins or space to affix the Judge’s signature.

WARNING

E-filed documents should follow paper-pleading formatting rules to the extent practicable and any other formats the court requires.

All electronically filed documents shall, to the extent practicable, be formatted in accordance with applicable rules governing formatting of paper pleadings and in other formats the court may require.

WARNING

The jury questionnaire must be a single document, use language understandable to someone unfamiliar with legal and jury systems, and be organized to facilitate quick and accurate screening.

The questionnaire is designed to elicit essential information regarding the potential juror and shall be combined in a single document, phrased so as to be readily understood by an individual unfamiliar with the legal and jury systems. The jury questionnaire shall be phrased and organized so as to facilitate quick and accurate screening.