Local Rule L.R. 9004: Format and Title of Filings.

L.R. 9004 - Format and Title of Filings. A. Captions. All filings and proposed orders must include a caption identifying this Court and the appropriate division and must contain the following information set forth on the top right-hand side of the page: 1. case number with judge code (for all filings after the Court has assigned a case number); 2. chapter (7, 9, 11, 12, 13, or 15); 3. adversary proceeding or motion number (for all filings after the Court has assigned the motion or adversary number); 4. current hearing date, time, and location (city and courtroom); and 5. date any response must be filed, if applicable. The top left-hand side of the page of all filings and proposed orders must include the name of the debtor. All filings and orders concerning motions must also list the name of the movant and respondent on the top left, and filings and orders in adversary proceedings must list the name of the plaintiff and the defendant. (Local Form 22, Sample Caption).

B. Title of Filings. All filings must bear a descriptive title accurately stating the nature of the relief sought. If alternative relief is requested, the title must reflect the alternative relief.

C. Format of Filings. Unless otherwise permitted by leave of Court, all petitions and other documents must be typed or legibly written on paper 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches. Margins should be no less than 1 inch and all documents should be printed on one side only of a sheet of paper using standard, 12-point font. Copies of documents served on parties may be printed on both sides of a sheet of paper for convenience. Parties are encouraged to use binders to organize pleadings and exhibits for courtroom presentations. Without leave of Court, no motion, memorandum or brief is to exceed fifteen (15) pages exclusive of the signature page, certificate of service and attachments. Except for memoranda of law, all factual and legal allegations in any pleading should be set forth in separately numbered paragraphs.

D. Certificates of Service. All filings must include, or be accompanied by, a certificate of service, signed by the party serving the document, identifying (i) each person or entity served with the filing; (ii) the date of service; and (iii) the manner of service. 1. CM/ECF Service. If the Notice of Electronic Filing that is generated upon completion of an electronic filing indicates that a party was served with the document by the Court's CM/ECF system, the filing party does not need to serve the document by any other means on the party that is shown as having received the document by the CM/ECF system. The filing party does not need to list on the certificate of service the parties that were served via the CM/ECF system. Service by electronic mail outside of the CM/ECF system is not sufficient service. Documents served by electronic mail outside of the CM/ECF system will be deemed to not have been served and may be stricken without further notice. 2. Parties not served by CM/ECF. Unless otherwise provided in these Rules (e.g., L.R. 9013-3(F) for Chapter 11 cases), names and addresses must be included in the certificate of service for those parties that the Notice of Electronic Filing does not indicate received the filed document by the CM/ECF system. Failure to identify these parties' names and addresses in the certificate of service is grounds for denial of the relief sought by the underlying document. For these purposes, it is insufficient to state that a filing was served "on all parties on the matrix" or "on all parties in interest," or to use other similar perfunctory phrases. 3. Time and Manner of Filing. Attorneys can identify in advance of filing a document which parties will receive electronic service in any particular case by accessing the "Mailings" option under "Utilities," and, specifically, the "Mailings Information for a Case" feature. The certificate of service may, however, be filed separately from the underlying document. The certificate of service must be filed within twenty-four (24) hours of the underlying document's filing. The underlying document must still be served at the same time the underlying document is filed. Failure to timely file the certificate of service is grounds for denial of the relief sought by the underlying document.