Free california pleading template

Skip to main content Skip to topics menu Skip to topics menu. Cancel Print. Advanced Search. Basics of Court Forms. Judicial Council Forms To help you make sure that your court documents have the information the court needs, the California courts have created a set of court forms called Judicial Council forms. How to find a court form Forms are either state forms or local forms.

To find Judicial Council forms online: Go to Browse All Forms From the dropdown menu you can choose a group of forms according to the topic your case is about, or, for example, "All Forms Listed by Name" to find all the Judicial Council forms in alphabetical order. Using Judicial Council forms Judicial Council forms can be very helpful to you in several ways: Many Judicial Council forms have instructions on the other side of the page that can help you understand how to use that form.

There are some Judicial Council forms that just provide information to you. These informational forms can be extremely helpful in understanding what steps you need to take to move forward with your case. All Judicial Council forms that are filed with the court tell you on the bottom left corner of the page whether the form is "adopted for mandatory use" meaning that you must use that form or "approved for optional use" meaning that you can create your own form or use a different form-- as long as it has all the required information Most Judicial Council forms have, on the bottom right corner, the laws or codes that relate to what the form is about.

It tells you that you can find the law for divorce in sections and of the California Family Code. So if you have a question about something that the form is asking you to fill out and you want to know the law, you can go to these code sections and look it up yourself.

Tips for filling out Judicial Council forms Make sure you have the most current version of the form. All Judicial Council forms have a date on the bottom left corner.

This is the date that the form was last updated. Court forms at www. But, forms you may pick up at your local courthouse or find in a self-help book may not be. So, when you pick up a hard copy of a form, compare the date on it against the date on the form online to make sure it is the most current version.

You can also ask the court clerk if you have the latest version. Be sure your forms are clear and easy to read. Use blue or black ink or type them. Forms are available online and you can fill them out online too if you have a computer.

On most forms you need to write your legal name, current address, and daytime phone number in the box at the top of the first page. If you do not want to write your home address, use another address where you can get mail. The court will send your court papers to this address.

You can also provide your email address, but this is optional. Most forms have a "caption" on the first page that you always need to fill out. The caption contains your name, address and phone number, the court's address, the names of the parties in the case, and the case number. You should always fill out the caption the same way to avoid confusing the court. If your address changes, make sure you also file a "Change of Address" with the court. If you do not have a lawyer, write "Self-represented" on the "Attorney for" line on all court forms.

Fill out your forms completely and accurately. Use blue or black ink only. Notice if the form is asking you to sign it "under penalty of perjury," which means that when you sign it, you are swearing that what is on the form is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. The page number may be suppressed and need not appear on the first page. The inclusion of a fax number or e-mail address on any document does not constitute consent to service by fax or e-mail unless otherwise provided by law.

In the title of the case on each initial complaint or cross-complaint, the name of each party must commence on a separate line beginning at the left margin of the page. On any subsequent pleading or paper, it is sufficient to provide a short title of the case 1 stating the name of the first party on each side, with appropriate indication of other parties, and 2 stating that a cross-action or cross-actions are involved e. In a case having multiple parties, any answer, response, or opposition must specifically identify the complaining, propounding, or moving party and the complaint, motion, or other matter being answered or opposed.

If a case is reclassified by stipulation under Code of Civil Procedure section The caption or title must state that the case is a limited civil case reclassified as an unlimited civil case, or an unlimited civil case reclassified as a limited civil case, or other words to that effect. Your email address will not be published. Court Deadlines contains reference information and calculators for common deadlines in the federal rules of civil procedure.

Court Deadlines also includes links to certain state court rules. Disclaimer: The information presented on this site is for educational purposes only. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.