Court of Common Pleas of McKean County, Pennsylvania Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Unprintable digital exhibits must be entered on a USB flash drive unless the court expressly approves another format.

(b) Any digital exhibit that cannot be printed (i.e., audio or video recording) shall be entered into the record on a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive (or other format if expressly approved by the court).

CRITICALCivil cases

Multiple-page papers must be bound at the top with a binding clip or a single staple in the middle, not on the side.

All papers having multiple pages shall be bound at the top with a binding clip or single staple in the middle, not the side.

CRITICALCivil cases

For statewide practice before the Register, the Supreme Court-approved Appendix forms must be used, and other forms may not be allowed or required by local rule or practice.

The forms approved by the Supreme Court for statewide practice before the Register as set forth in the Appendix shall be used. No other forms shall be allowed or required by local rule or practice in such instances.

CRITICALCivil cases

The Uniform Fiduciary Accounting Principles, including their commentaries and illustrations, serve to elaborate the Rule’s requirements.

(c) The Uniform Fiduciary Accounting Principles with accompanying commentaries and illustrations, recommended by the Committee on National Fiduciary Accounting Standards in collaboration with the National Center for State Courts, shall serve as an elaboration of the requirements of this Rule.

CRITICALCivil cases

(3) Two certified paper copies of the local rule and a computer diskette or a CD-ROM that complies with requirements of 1 Pa. Code § 13.11(b), or an agreed-

(3) Two certified paper copies of the local rule and a computer diskette or a CD-ROM that complies with requirements of 1 Pa. Code § 13.11(b), or an agreed-

CRITICALCivil cases

A copy of a writing attached to a filing must be legible and faithfully represent the original; the court may require a substitute copy when the original is legible.

Whenever a copy of a writing is attached to a pleading, brief or other paper submitted to the court, such copy shall be clearly legible and faithfully represent the original in every respect, and unless the original itself is not legible the court may require a substitute copy to be made and filed

CRITICALCivil cases

Petitions must be filed with the prothonotary in the form prescribed by the cited rules.

All petitions shall be filed with the prothonotary in the form prescribed in Pa.R.C.P. Nos. 204.1, 206.1 and Rule L205.2(a).

CRITICALCivil cases

All notices must be in writing.

(a) All notices shall be in writing.

CRITICALCivil cases

Tape, headers, and backers may be used only with the prothonotary’s prior approval.

No tape, headers or backers shall be used without prior approval of the prothonotary.

CRITICAL

The proponent must ensure documentary evidence can be filed and easily stored, but the records office may request alternate storage measures for difficult-to-store exhibits.

(b) The proponent shall assure that document evidence is in a formant, including size and material, that is compatible with being filed and easily stored by the records office. If, due to the nature of the proceeding and the requirement that an oversized or undersized document exhibit be entered into evidence that is not easily capable of storage by the records office, then the records office may request that alternate measures be undertaken for storage of this document evidence, including that the proponent retain custody in conformance with Rule 5103 for physical evidence.

CRITICALCivil cases

Each minor’s estate or custodial account must be accounted for separately unless the court directs otherwise for cause shown.

Unless the court for cause shown directs otherwise, the estate of each minor or the custodial account of each minor shall be accounted for separately.

CRITICALCivil cases

Attachments must be clearly legible, and copies must faithfully represent the original in every respect.

Attachments to any paper filed with the prothonotary shall be clearly legible. Copies shall faithfully represent the original in every respect.

CRITICALCivil cases

(c) For any personal injury claim filed, any defendant may serve arbitration discovery requests that substantially conform to the form available from the court administrator and on the court’s website at www.mckeancountypa.org/Departments/Court_Of_Common_Pleas.

(c) For any personal injury claim filed, any defendant may serve arbitration discovery requests that substantially conform to the form available from the court administrator and on the court’s website at www.mckeancountypa.org/Departments/Court_Of_Common_Pleas.

CRITICAL

The proponent must photograph non-documentary exhibits, convert them to letter-sized documents, mark them appropriately, and produce them during the proceeding.

(1) These non-documentary exhibits must be photographed by the proponent, converted to a letter sized document, and appropriately marked and produced during the court proceeding for inclusion in the documentary record.

CRITICALCivil cases

Paragraphs in an amended pleading must be renumbered, and the new portion must be underlined.

Whenever an amended pleading is filed, such pleading shall be a complete pleading and not merely set forth the amendments to the former pleading. The amended pleading shall clearly indicate that it is an amended pleading, the paragraphs shall be renumbered, and the new portion shall be underlined.

CRITICALCivil cases

The arbitrators must keep the envelope unopened until they reach their basic award, and the envelope and its contents must be filed with the case papers.

The arbitrators shall not open said envelope until they have reached their basic award. The envelope and the writing contained therein shall be filed with the papers in the case.

CRITICALCivil cases

Assets appointed through a power of appointment must be accounted for separately, and testamentary assets must be segregated from appointive assets.

Assets that are appointed pursuant to the exercise of a power of appointment shall be accounted for separately, and testamentary assets shall be segregated from appointive assets.

CRITICALCivil cases

An original legal paper must be properly signed and verified when verification is required.

The original legal paper shall be properly signed, and where required, verified.

CRITICALCivil cases

Objections must be written in consecutively numbered paragraphs, signed by counsel or all unrepresented objectors, and verified by at least one objector.

(b) Objections shall be in writing, with consecutively numbered paragraphs, signed by counsel, or if not represented by counsel, then by all the objectors in accordance with Rule 3.12. Objections shall be verified by at least one of the objectors in accordance with Rule 3.13.

CRITICALCivil cases

Preliminary objections must be filed with the prothonotary in the prescribed form and should not be filed with the court administrator.

All preliminary objections shall be filed with the prothonotary in the form prescribed in Pa.R.C.P. No. 204.1 and Rule L205.2(a). Preliminary Objections should not be filed with the court administrator.

CRITICALCivil cases

Multiple-page papers must be consecutively numbered, with each page number at the bottom center.

All papers having multiple pages shall be numbered consecutively. The number shall appear at the bottom center position of each page.

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

Legal paper filed with the clerk must use letter-size, good-quality white paper, double spacing, margins of at least one inch, legible lettering of at least 12 points, and single-sided pages, subject to the stated exceptions.

All legal paper filed with the clerk must conform to the following requirements: (a) The document shall be on 8 ½ inch by 11 inch paper. (b) The document shall be prepared on white paper (except for dividers and similar sheets) of good quality. (c) The text must be double spaced, but quotations more than two lines long may be indented and single-spaced. Margins must be at least one inch on all four sides. (d) The lettering shall be clear and legible and no smaller than point 12. The lettering shall be on only one side of a page, except that exhibits and similar supporting documents may be double-sided.

CRITICALCivil cases

A status report required by the Rule must use the form approved by the Supreme Court.

The report required by this Rule shall be in the form approved by the Supreme Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

(a) For any personal injury claim filed, the plaintiff may serve arbitration discovery requests that conform substantially to the form available from the court administrator and on the court’s website at www.mckeancountypa.org/Departments/Court_Of_Common_Pleas.

(a) For any personal injury claim filed, the plaintiff may serve arbitration discovery requests that conform substantially to the form available from the court administrator and on the court’s website at www.mckeancountypa.org/Departments/Court_Of_Common_Pleas.

CRITICALCivil cases

Registers and clerks must use Supreme Court-approved forms, and no other form may be allowed or required by local rule or practice when an approved form exists.

(a) The forms approved by the Supreme Court for statewide practice and procedure before the Registers and courts shall be used exclusively by all Registers and clerks. Where a Supreme Court-approved form exists, no other form shall be allowed or required by local rule or practice.

CRITICALCivil cases

Papers filed with the prothonotary must be submitted without folds.

All papers filed with the prothonotary shall be without folds to facilitate scanning and flat filing.

CRITICALCivil cases

A motion for judgment on the pleadings must be filed with the prothonotary in the prescribed form.

A motion for judgment on the pleadings shall be filed with the prothonotary in the form prescribed in Pa.R.C.P. No. 204.1 and Rule L205.2(a).

WARNINGCivil cases

A self-represented litigant should use numbered paragraphs corresponding to the complaint and place uncovered matters in separately numbered paragraphs under the stated caption.

The self represented litigant when replying to such a complaint should reply using separate numbered paragraphs corresponding to the numbered paragraphs of the complaint. Any matter not covered in the self represented litigant’s replies to the separate paragraphs of the complaint should be set forth in separately numbered paragraphs under the caption “New Matter, Counterclaim or Cross-Claim”.

WARNINGCivil cases

A local rule corresponding to one of these Rules must be assigned the corresponding number.

When a local rule corresponds to a Rule, the local rule shall be given a number that corresponds to the number of these Rules.

WARNINGCivil cases

A Praecipe for Arbitration must substantially conform to the prescribed form.

The praecipe shall substantially conform to the form shown below.

WARNINGCivil cases

Preliminary Objections should not be filed in duplicate or by facsimile transmission, except in emergency circumstances.

Preliminary Objections should not be filed in duplicate or by facsimile transmission, except in emergency circumstances.

WARNINGCivil cases

Petitions should not be filed in duplicate or by facsimile transmission, except in emergency circumstances.

Petitions should not be filed in duplicate or by facsimile transmission, except in emergency circumstances.

WARNINGCivil cases

Briefs and memorandums of law must be typewritten in at least 12-point font, double spaced except for quotations, on letter-size paper, and bound at the top rather than the side.

(a) Briefs and Memorandums of Law shall be typewritten using a 12 pt font or greater, double spaced (except for quotations) on paper 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, shall be bound at the top, not at the side, and shall contain:

WARNINGCivil cases

Pleadings must conform as nearly as possible to the rules relating to civil actions law, unless a statute or court rule provides otherwise.

Except as otherwise provided by statute, or rule of court, pleadings in all actions shall, as nearly as possible, conform to the rules relating to civil actions law.

INFOCivil cases

Exhibits should, insofar as possible, be marked for identification before trial begins.

In so far as possible, all exhibits shall be marked for identification before the beginning of trial.