Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Document Format Requirements

CRITICALCivil cases

Cover sheets required by the cited rules must follow the specified forms.

The Cover Sheets required by Rule 208.3(b), 1028(c), 1034(a) and 1035.2(a) shall be as follows:

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Legal papers presented for electronic filing must be in PDF format.

All legal papers shall be presented for electronic filing in portable document format (“pdf”).

CRITICALCivil cases

Exceptions to the Hearing Officer’s recommendations in support must substantially follow the form on the Court’s website.

If a party seeks to except to the Recommendations of the Hearing Officer in Support, that party shall file Exceptions in substantially the form as set forth on the Court's website.

CRITICAL

Documents must be assembled in the order shown on the checklist.

***DOCUMENTS MUST BE ASSEMBLED ACCORDING TO THE ORDER ON THIS CHECKLIST***

CRITICAL

Electronically filed legal papers and exhibits must be PDFs; paper-filed legal papers must be converted to PDF, which the Clerk must maintain.

Legal papers and exhibits to be filed by electronic filing shall be filed in portable document format (.pdf or "PDF"). Any legal paper submitted to the Clerk of the Orphans' Court as a paper filing shall be converted to PDF and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court shall maintain the legal paper in PDF format.

CRITICAL

Each exhibit must be a separate PDF associated with the same filing and docket entry as the legal paper.

Each exhibit to a legal paper shall be filed as a separate PDF document but as part of the same docket entry filed electronically, each exhibit shall be uploaded by the filing party as a separate PDF document, associated with the same filing as the legal paper.

CRITICAL

For a documentary exhibit or photograph larger than 8½ by 11 inches, the proponent must ensure that a copy reduced to 8½ by 11 inches or smaller is entered into the record.

In compliance with Pa.R.J.A. 5103 (a) and (b), if a proponent offers into evidence a documentary exhibit or photograph that is larger in size than 8-1/2 x 11 inches, the proponent shall ensure that a copy of the document or photograph reduced to 8-1/2 x 11 inches (or smaller) is entered into the record.

CRITICAL

A proponent offering a non-documentary exhibit must provide a photograph no larger than 8½ by 11 inches for inclusion in the record.

If a proponent offers into evidence a non-documentary exhibit, the proponent shall provide a photograph (no larger in size than 8-1/2 x 11 inches) of the exhibit which will be made a part of the record.

CRITICAL

A digital-format exhibit entered into the record must use a format acceptable to the court.

A proponent shall ensure that an exhibit in a digital format entered into the record is in a format acceptable to the court.

CRITICALCivil cases

The motion and order must use the forms prescribed by Pa.R.C.P. 1920.74(a) and (b).

The motion and order shall be in the form prescribed by Pa.R.C.P. 1920.74(a) and (b).

CRITICALCriminal cases

After the Chief Adult Probation Officer refuses the request, a Petition for Termination of Probation may be filed in a form substantially similar to Rule *709.

A Petition for Termination of Probation may be filed in form substantially similar to that set forth in Rule *709.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Police officers must use the issuing authority's arrest warrant as the exclusive form for receipts for fines, costs, or collateral accepted from a defendant who has been found.

The issuing authority's warrant of arrest shall be the exclusive form for use by a police officer to issue a receipt for fines and costs or collateral accepted by the police officer where the defendant has been found.

CRITICAL

Briefs and memoranda of law must be typewritten, printed, or otherwise duplicated.

Briefs and memoranda of law shall be typewritten, printed or otherwise duplicated

WARNINGCivil cases

Either party may file an Argument Praecipe, in the referenced form, if the parties agree that discovery is unnecessary or that discovery and supplemental briefing are complete.

If the petitioner and respondent agree that no discovery on the petition is required or that all such discovery and supplemental briefing have been completed, then either party may file an Argument Praecipe in the following form: See Form Argument Praecipe

WARNING

A reduced copy of an oversized exhibit must be clear and capable of further reproduction or transfer to digital media.

A proponent who provides a reduced copy of an oversized exhibit shall ensure that the reproduced document is clear and capable of further reproduction or transfer to digital media.

WARNING

A photograph of a non-documentary exhibit must be clear and capable of further reproduction or transfer to digital media.

A proponent who provides a photograph of a non-documentary exhibit shall ensure that the photograph is clear and capable of further reproduction or transfer to digital media.

WARNINGCivil cases

The distribution petition filed with the account must be in a form similar to petitions for distribution required by the Orphans’ Court for account audits.

similar to that of petitions for distribution required by the Orphans’ Court to be presented at the audit of accounts in that Court.

WARNINGCriminal cases

The defendant or defense counsel may make an audio recording only and may not make a video recording.

The defendant or defense counsel may make an audio recording of the proceeding only. The defendant or defense counsel may not make a video recording of the proceeding.

WARNINGCivil cases

Plans submitted with the return of record must be no larger than 8½ by 11 inches.

Any plans submitted with the return of record shall be no larger than 8 1/2" × 11".