Rule 5 Form of Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers
Rule Text
(a) STATIONERY. Pleadings, motions, and other papers must be on opaque white paper, approximately 11 inches long and 8 1/2 inches wide, without a back or cover.
(b) CAPTION; NAMES OF PARTIES; LOCATIONAL INFORMATION.
(1) In General. Except as provided in Rule 5(b)(2), every pleading, motion, or other paper shall contain a caption setting forth:
(A) the name of the Superior Court, Family Court, Parentage and Support Branch;
(B) the title of the action, which must include:
(i) in the petition and answer, the names and residence addresses of all parties; or
(ii) in pleadings other than the petition and answer, it is sufficient to state the name of the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of other parties;
(C) the case number;
(D) the name of the pleading;
(E) where necessary to avoid confusion, the name or names of the party or parties on whose behalf the pleading or other paper is filed; and
(F) if the case has been assigned to a specific calendar or a specific magistrate judge, the calendar number or the magistrate judge’s name must appear below the file number.
(2) Substituted Address. A party who has a reasonable basis to fear harassment or harm to the party or the party's family from disclosure of the party's residence address is not be required to state the address provided that the party substitutes the name and residence or other address of the party's attorney or a third person willing to accept service copies for the party and in care of whom such service copies may be sent. A paper which has a substituted address must be clearly marked to indicate that such a substitution has been made. In using a substitute address, a party certifies that the party may be notified of court proceedings and receive service copies of papers at that address.
(3) Parties’ Information Deemed Correct and Current. Except as modified by a notice filed with the court and served on the parties under Domestic Relations Rule 5, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers represented in the pleading, motion, or other paper are deemed conclusively correct and current.
(c) SIGNING OF PLEADING, MOTION OR OTHER PAPER. Every pleading, motion, or other paper must be signed in accordance with Domestic Relations Rule 11. Below the signature, the paper must contain:
(1) if the party is represented by counsel, the attorney’s name, office address, telephone number, e-mail address, if any, and District of Columbia Bar number; or
(2) if the party is not represented by counsel, the name, full residence address, telephone number, and e-mail address, if any, of the party by whom the paper was filed, or a substitute name, address, telephone number, and email address, if any, if a substitution has been made under Rule 5(b)(2).
(d) PARAGRAPHS.
(1) In General. Each claim or defense must be made in a separate paragraph. The contents of each paragraph must be limited as far as practicable to a statement of a single set of circumstances.
(2) Prior or Pending Action. The last paragraph of a party's initial pleading must:
(A) identify the court and docket number of any prior or pending action based on or including the same child; or
(B) state that there are no such cases.
(e) ADOPTION BY REFERENCE; EXHIBITS. A statement in a pleading may be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading or in any other pleading, motion, or paper. A copy of a written instrument that is an exhibit to a pleading, motion, or other paper is a part of the pleading, motion, or paper for all purposes.
(f) NONCONFORMANCE WITH ABOVE. A pleading, motion, or other paper not conforming to the requirements of this rule will not be accepted for filing.