Scioto County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Document Format Requirements

CRITICALCivil cases

Papers filed with the clerk, including electronically filed papers, must be no larger than 8½ by 11 inches and must not have backing or a cover.

All pleadings, motions, briefs, and other papers filed with the clerk, including those filed by electronic means, shall be on paper not exceeding 8 1/2 x 11 inches in size without backing or cover.

CRITICALCivil cases

The party serving requests for production must include an electronic copy in a word-processing format.

Division (B) of the rule is amended to include a requirement that the party serving this form of discovery requests include an electronic copy in a word-processing format.

CRITICALCivil cases

The electronic copy served must be on a shareable medium and in an editable format.

Recognizing the advancements in technology that have occurred since the 2004 amendment to the rule, the amendment also changes the description of the type of electronic copy that shall be served from a copy that is “reasonably useable for word processing and provided on computer disk” to a copy “on a shareable medium and in an editable format.”

CRITICALCivil cases

Probate proceedings must use the forms prescribed by Civ.R. 73.2; other forms may be used only as that rule permits.

Forms used in proceedings in the probate division of the courts of common pleas shall be those prescribed in Civ.R. 73.2. Forms not prescribed in such rule may be used as permitted in that rule.

CRITICALCivil cases

Covered blank forms reproduced for probate practice must conform to the specifications in Civ.R. 73.3.

Blank forms reproduced for use in probate practice for any filing to which the rule applicable to specifications for printing probate forms of the Rules of Superintendence applies shall conform to the specifications set forth in Civ.R. 73.3.

CRITICALCivil cases

A form’s main heading must be repeated at the foot of its first page, preceded by the form number if it is a standard form.

The main heading of a form, which appears immediately below the caption on the first page of a form, shall be repeated at the foot of the first page. If the form is a standard form, the repeat of the main heading shall be preceded on the same line by the form number.

CRITICALCivil cases

The form number and repeated heading must be centered and no more than three-eighths inch above the form’s bottom edge.

The form number and repeat of the main heading shall be centered, and located not higher than three-eighths inch above the bottom edge of the form.

CRITICALCivil cases

Each page of a multipage standard probate form must show the case number in its upper portion.

When a standard probate form consists of more than one page, each page shall contain the case number in the upper portion of the page.

CRITICALCivil cases

Matters not addressed by the rule are governed by Rule 73.2, and printed blank forms must substantially conform to the standard forms’ format.

Matters not specifically covered in this rule are governed by the standard forms prescribed in Rule 73.2. Overall, the format of all printed blank forms, whether standard or nonstandard, shall conform substantially to the standard forms.

CRITICALCivil cases

Blank standard forms may not be altered when printed, except for the variations allowed in division (M)(2).

Except as provided in division (M)(2) of this rule, no additions to, deletions from, or changes in the form, content, or language of the standard forms are permitted when printing blank standard forms.

CRITICALCivil cases

Replace “20__” or “200__” on a form with a blank line that accommodates the correct year.

Wherever a form contains “20__” or “200__”, a blank line shall be substituted to accommodate the correct year.

CRITICALCivil cases

All filings except wills must use 8.5-by-11-inch paper, without backings, on stock that can be microfilmed.

(A) All filings, except wills, shall be on eight and one-half by eleven inch paper, without backings, of stock that can be microfilmed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Pleadings, motions, and other filings must be typed or printed in ink and correctly captioned.

(E) All pleadings, motions, or other filings are to be typed or printed in ink and correctly captioned.

CRITICALCivil cases

Supreme Court-approved Appendix of Forms are sufficient under the rules and must be accepted for filing.

The forms contained in the Appendix of Forms which the Supreme Court from time to time may approve are sufficient under these rules and shall be accepted for filing by courts of this state.

WARNINGCivil cases

Pleading averments must be simple, concise, and direct, but no technical form is required.

Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleading or motions are required.

WARNINGCivil cases

If a request does not specify the ESI production form, the responding party may produce the information in its ordinarily maintained form or another reasonable form.

Civ.R. 34(B)(3) applies when a party does not specify the form in which electronically stored information should be produced; in that situation the responding party has the option of producing the materials in the form in which the information is ordinarily maintained or another form provided that the form produced is reasonable.

WARNINGCivil cases

A responding party ordinarily needs to provide ESI in only one format, unless the court orders or the parties agree otherwise.

This section also clarifies that the respondent only has to provide electronically stored information in one format unless the court orders or the parties agree to a different arrangement.

WARNINGCivil cases

A subpoena may specify the production format for electronically stored information, but the requester may not demand the same information in multiple electronic formats.

Civ.R. 45(A) and 45(D)(2) clarify that a party may use subpoenas to obtain electronically stored information from nonparties. It allows the party issuing the subpoena to specify the form or forms of production for electronically stored information while prohibiting the requesting party from demanding that the subpoenaed person provide the same information in more than one electronic format.

WARNINGCivil cases

A printed blank standard form may be neatly and conveniently modified to fit the case, but a court may not routinely require such modifications.

A printed, blank standard form may be modified by deletion or interlineation to meet the circumstances of a particular case or proceeding, if the modification can be accomplished neatly and conveniently. No court shall require the modification of a standard form as a routine matter.

WARNINGCivil cases

An original instrument may be filed instead of a prescribed standard form; it must be typed on letter-size paper, use the Civ.R. 73.3 caption, and follow the standard-form format, with case-appropriate changes permitted.

Even though a standard form is prescribed, an original instrument may be prepared for filing. Any such instrument shall be typed on eight and one-half by eleven inch paper. The caption prescribed in Civ.R. 73.3 shall be used, and the instrument shall follow the format prescribed for the standard forms. Any such instrument may modify the language of the standard form, omit inapplicable matter required by the standard form, and add matter not included in the standard form to the extent required by the circumstances of the particular case or proceeding.

WARNINGCivil cases

Filed forms, including electronically filed forms, must not exceed 8.5 by 11 inches and must have no backing or cover.

All forms filed, including those filed by electronic means, shall be on pages not exceeding eight and one-half by eleven inches, without backing or cover.

WARNINGCivil cases

Forms must use approximately one-half- to three-quarter-inch justified side margins and an approximately seven-eighth- to one-and-one-eighth-inch top margin; the first-page heading distance is governed by division (K).

Right and left margins shall be approximately one-half to three-quarters of one inch, and shall be justified. The top margin shall be approximately seven-eighths to one and one- eighth inches, measured from the top edge of the paper to the top of the first line of the caption. The distance between the bottom of the repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page shall be as required by division (K) of this rule.

WARNINGCivil cases

All type on the forms must be sans serif.

All type shall be sans serif.

WARNINGCivil cases

Boldface type may be used only where division (D)(2) requires or permits it.

Bold face type shall be used only as required or permitted by division (D)(2) of this rule.

WARNINGCivil cases

Italics are prohibited.

Italics shall not be used.

WARNINGCivil cases

Type must use upper- and lowercase except where division (D)(3) requires all capitals.

Except as provided in division (D)(3) of this rule, all type shall be upper and lower case.

WARNINGCivil cases

Boldface is required for the main heading following the caption and for the form number and repeated main heading at the foot of the first page.

Bold face type shall be used for the main heading immediately following the caption, and for the form number and repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page.

WARNINGCivil cases

The first two caption lines, the main heading, all subheadings, the form number and repeated main heading at the foot of the first page, and other matter expressly marked on a Rule 73.2 standard form must be in all capitals.

The following shall be printed in all capital letters: (a) The first two lines of the caption; (b) The main heading immediately following the caption; (c) All subheadings; (d) The form number and repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page; (e) Any matter not covered in division (D)(3)(a) to (d) of this rule, for which the use of all capital letters is expressly indicated on a standard form in Rule 73.2.

WARNINGCivil cases

The main heading immediately following the caption must be at least 16-point type.

Main headings immediately following the caption shall use sixteen-point or larger type;

WARNINGCivil cases

The first caption line and all subheadings must use type from 12-point through 16-point.

The first line of the caption, and all subheadings, shall use not smaller than twelve-point nor larger than sixteen-point type;

WARNINGCivil cases

The last two caption lines, body, form number, and repeated main heading at the foot of the first page must use type from 8-point through 12-point.

The last two lines of the caption, the body, and the form number and repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page, shall use not smaller than eight-point nor larger than twelve-point type;

WARNINGCivil cases

Instructions or identification beneath a blank line must use type no larger than 8-point.

Instructions or identification under a blank line, indicating what is to be inserted in the line or identifying the office or status of a signer, shall use not larger than eight-point type.

WARNINGCivil cases

The first caption line and all subheadings must be at least 2 points smaller than the main heading immediately following the caption.

The first line of the caption and all subheadings shall use type at least two points smaller than the main heading immediately following the caption;

WARNINGCivil cases

The last two caption lines, body, form number, and repeated main heading at the foot of the first page must use type at least 2 points smaller than the subheadings.

The last two lines of the caption, the body, and the form number and repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page, shall use type at least two points smaller than the subheadings;

WARNINGCivil cases

Instructions or identification beneath a blank line must use type at least 2 points smaller than the body.

Instructions or identification under a blank line, indicating what is to be inserted in the line or identifying the office or status of a signer, shall use type at least two points smaller than the body.

WARNINGCivil cases

Vertical spacing on all forms must use one-pica units to conform to standard typewriter vertical spacing.

The vertical spacing on all forms shall be in units of one pica, to conform to standard typewriter vertical spacing.

WARNINGCivil cases

The specified caption line, heading, explanatory information, subheadings, and repeated heading and form number must be centered.

The first line of the caption, the main heading, any explanatory information supplementing the main heading and appearing directly below it, subheadings, and the form number and repeat of the main heading at the foot of the first page of a form, shall be centered.

WARNINGCivil cases

Blanks to be filled in must be indicated by a printed solid line.

Blanks to be filled in shall be indicated by a printed solid line.

WARNINGCivil cases

When calculating a line’s length on a form, count spaces and punctuation and assume six pica accommodates ten characters.

Spaces and punctuation shall be included in counting characters. It shall be assumed that six pica will accommodate ten characters in calculating the length of a line.

WARNINGCivil cases

(2) Wherever possible, blank lines shall be a minimum length of: (a) Eight pica, when the name of a county is to be inserted; (b) Eighteen pica, when a date is to be inserted; (c) Twenty pica, when a name or signature is to be inserted; (d) Eight pica, not counting the dollar sign, when a dollar amount is to be inserted.

(2) Wherever possible, blank lines shall be a minimum length of: (a) Eight pica, when the name of a county is to be inserted; (b) Eighteen pica, when a date is to be inserted; (c) Twenty pica, when a name or signature is to be inserted; (d) Eight pica, not counting the dollar sign, when a dollar amount is to be inserted.

WARNINGCivil cases

When one or more blank lines are provided for an address, the lines should be at least forty pica long if single-line and twenty pica per line if multi-line, wherever possible.

(3) One, or two or more blank lines may be used for the insertion of an address. Wherever possible, such lines shall be a minimum length of: (a) Forty pica when a single line is used; (b) Twenty pica per line when two or more lines are used.

WARNINGCivil cases

Vertical series of signature, tabulation, or other blank lines must have two-pica spacing, except where a standard form in Rule 73.2 expressly indicates otherwise.

(4) When a series of signature lines, lines for tabulating particular information, or other blank lines in vertical series are called for in a form, then except where expressly indicated on a standard form in Rule 73.2, the vertical spacing between lines shall be two pica. This spacing shall be maintained without regard to instructions or identification printed below a line.

WARNINGCivil cases

When a form calls for a check or X, use a box placed before the information it refers to.

(1) Where a form calls for a “check” or “X” to be inserted, a box shall be used for the purpose. The box shall precede the information to which it refers.

WARNINGCivil cases

When multiple checkboxes appear in a sentence or paragraph, visually separate each box and its related information from surrounding information using a device that minimizes confusion.

(2) When a series of “checks” or “X’s” are called for in the same sentence or paragraph, each box and the information to which it refers shall be set apart visually from the preceding and following information in the same sentence or paragraph. Any device that provides visual separation and minimizes possible confusion may be used, including without limitation space-hyphen-space or a double or triple space, as in the following example: “[check one of the following] - [ ]Decedent’s will has been admitted to probate in this court - [ ]To applicant’s knowledge decedent did not leave a will.”

WARNINGCivil cases

(2) The first line of the caption shall be centered. The second and third lines shall begin at the left margin and end at the right margin. The vertical space between the first and second lines may be two or three pica. The vertical space between the second and third lines shall be two pica.

(2) The first line of the caption shall be centered. The second and third lines shall begin at the left margin and end at the right margin. The vertical space between the first and second lines may be two or three pica. The vertical space between the second and third lines shall be two pica.

WARNINGCivil cases

In any form calling for a court’s address, the blank lines intended for the insertion of such information may be replaced by the imprinted information itself. If the court’s address is imprinted in the caption, the blank lines in the body of the form for the address and introductory material for the address shall be omitted as provided in division (J)(3) of this rule.

In any form calling for a court’s address, the blank lines intended for the insertion of such information may be replaced by the imprinted information itself. If the court’s address is imprinted in the caption, the blank lines in the body of the form for the address and introductory material for the address shall be omitted as provided in division (J)(3) of this rule.

WARNINGCivil cases

A form may print the attorney’s identifying information in place of blanks, but must retain the attorney’s signature line.

In any form calling for the attorney’s typed or printed name, address, telephone number, and attorney identification number, the blank lines intended for the insertion of that information may be replaced by the imprinted information itself. The signature line for the attorney shall be retained.

WARNINGCivil cases

On Standard Decedents’ Estates Form 4.2, the specified portion may be replaced with a corporate surety’s imprinted name and address, identified as surety and including an attorney-in-fact signature line; omit the personal-surety paragraph.

In Standard Decedents’ Estates Form 4.2, the portion of the form below the date line and principal’s signature line, and above the repeat at the foot of the page, may be replaced by the imprinted name ===== PAGE 274 ===== and address of a corporate surety, identified in some appropriate manner as the surety on the particular bond, and including a signature line for the attorney in fact. The last paragraph of the body of the form, relating to justification of personal sureties, shall be omitted.

WARNINGCivil cases

Computer-generated standard forms must comply with this rule, though a court may accept certain nonstandard computer-generated attachments for filing.

When standard forms are generated by computer, they shall conform to all specifications for standard forms stated in this rule. A court may accept for filing nonstandard computer generated forms for the receipts and disbursements attached to a standard account form or the schedule of assets attached to a standard inventory and appraisal form.

WARNINGCivil cases

A publisher may add identification to a form, provided its size, style, and placement do not detract from or interfere with the form.

On all forms, the publisher may add its name, logotype, or other suitable identification. The size, style, and placement shall be such as not to detract from, interfere with, or overpower any part of the form.

INFOCivil cases

Boldface may be used for the caption, subheadings, bracketed directions, specified blank-line instructions or identification, column headings, and other matter expressly marked for boldface on a Rule 73.2 standard form.

In addition bold face type may be used for: (a) The caption; (b) Subheadings; (c) Directions enclosed in brackets; (d) Instructions or identification under a blank line, indicating what is to be inserted in the line or identifying the office or status of a signer; (e) Column headings; (f) Any matter not covered in division (D)(2)(a) to (e) of this rule, for which the use of bold face type is expressly indicated on a standard form in Rule 73.2.

INFOCivil cases

The main heading and subheadings may be shifted vertically within the available area, but the rest of the form must retain one-pica vertical spacing.

In order to permit optimum placement and promote visual appeal, the main heading and any subheading may be moved up or down within the available area without regard to the vertical spacing of the rest of the form, provided the rest of the form from head to foot maintains vertical spacing in units of one pica.

INFOCivil cases

The rule permits specified caption variations: imprinting a county name, adding a court address while omitting address blanks and introductory text from the form body, and omitting the last two caption lines on forms dealing with multiple estates.

(3) The following variations from the caption prescribed in division (J)(1) and (2) of this rule are permitted: (a) The blank line in the first line of the caption may be replaced by the imprinted name of a particular county. (b) The caption may be expanded to include the address of a particular court, using type of any suitable size. In such case, the blank lines intended for the court’s address in the body of any form and introductory material for the address such as, “the court is located at __________,” shall be omitted. (c) In Standard Decedents’ Estates Form 5.5, and in any other decedents’ estates form dealing with two or more estates, the last two lines of the caption shall be omitted.

INFOCivil cases

A form may print the probate judge’s name and title below the judge’s signature line.

The name as well as the title of the probate judge may be imprinted below a judge’s signature line on any form.

INFOCivil cases

Forms may include suitable coding to assist scanning or administrative and clerical activities.

All forms may include suitable coding for optical or magnetic scanning, or similar system designed to aid docketing, indexing, cost accounting, or other administrative or clerical activities.

INFOCivil cases

Courts may accept local forms that are substantially similar to the Appendix of Forms.

Forms adopted by local courts that are substantially similar to the forms in the Appendix of Forms may also be accepted for filing.

INFOCivil cases

The forms are illustrative only.

The forms which follow are intended for illustration only.

INFOCivil cases

The forms are declared sufficient under the rules pursuant to Rule 84.

The forms are expressly declared by Rule 84 to be sufficient under the rules.

INFOCivil cases

A departure from a form does not void an otherwise sufficient paper, and a form may be varied as necessary to fit the case facts.

Departures from the forms shall not void papers which are otherwise sufficient, and the forms may be varied when necessary to meet the facts of a particular case.

INFOCivil cases

Additional pages may be added if more space is needed.

If more space is needed, add additional pages.

INFOCivil cases

Additional pages may be attached if necessary.

[Attach additional pages if necessary]