The forms listed under the "Pleading" heading on the list of Judicial Council forms in Appendix A to the California Rules of Court are approved by the Judicial Council.
(b) Cause of action forms
Any approved cause of action form may be attached to any approved form of complaint or cross-complaint.
(c) Other causes of action
A cause of action for which no form has been approved may be prepared in the format prescribed by the rules in chapter 1 of division 2 of title 2 and attached to any approved form of complaint or cross-complaint. Each paragraph within a cause of action must be numbered consecutively beginning with one. Each paragraph number must be preceded with one or more identifying letters derived from the title of the cause of action.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
The Judicial Council creates official forms for starting a lawsuit in California. These forms are listed in an appendix to the court rules and are approved for use in court. Using these forms helps make sure your paperwork is set up correctly.
If you are filing a complaint or cross-complaint, you can attach official cause of action forms to it. A cause of action is basically the legal reason you are suing someone, such as breach of contract or negligence.
If there is no official form for your specific cause of action, you can write it yourself, but it must follow a specific format. Each point you make must be numbered starting at 1, and each number must include letters taken from the name of your cause of action. For example, a negligence claim might use "N-1, N-2, N-3" and so on.
Summary generated March 14, 2026
Committee Notes
No committee notes available for this rule.
Rule 1.45 amended effective July 1, 2008; adopted as rule 982.1 effective January 1, 1982; previously amended effective July 1, 1995, July 1, 1996, January 1, 1997, July 1, 1999, and January 1, 2005; previously amended and renumbered as rule 201.2 effective January 1, 2003; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007.
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