Pleading Paper & Transcript Formatter

Courts in California and several other western states require filings on pleading paper: pages with line numbers down the left margin, vertical rules, and text placed on the numbered lines so that judges and opposing counsel can cite “page 3, line 14”. Deposition and court transcripts use a similar idea with 25 lines per page. This tool formats both from plain text and produces a PDF.

The pleading page

Each page has 28 numbered lines spaced 24 points apart, double vertical rules to the left of the text and a single rule on the right. Body text is double-spaced, so each line of text sits on a numbered line. This follows the layout in California Rules of Court 2.108 and 2.111, which also call for a footer with the page number and the document’s title under a line at the bottom of every page.

The first page

Lines 1 to 7 hold the filer’s details: the attorney’s name and State Bar number, email, firm, address, telephone, and whom they represent — or, for a self-represented party, their own name and contact details. The court’s name starts on line 8, centred in capitals. Below it comes the caption: the parties on the left, separated from the right side by a column of closing brackets, and the case number, the document’s title and optionally the judge or department on the right.

The body

Write the body in plain paragraphs separated by blank lines. Each paragraph starts with a half-inch indent and continues double-spaced. A short paragraph in capitals, such as MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES or I. INTRODUCTION, becomes a centred bold heading, as does any paragraph starting with #. Text runs onto as many pages as it needs, each with its line numbers and footer.

Deposition transcripts

Switch to transcript format for testimony. Pages have 25 numbered lines in Courier, with “Page n” at the top right; set the first page number when you are preparing an excerpt. Questions and answers typed as Q. and A. are set at the usual tab stops, with the text continuing from the left margin. Speakers such as MR. LOPEZ: or THE WITNESS: are indented as colloquy, parentheticals like (Exhibit 4 was marked for identification.) are indented further, and capital headings such as EXAMINATION BY MS. CHEN are centred.

Checking the preview

The preview draws each page with its numbers and rules so you can see where lines fall. It uses your browser’s fonts, so a word may wrap slightly differently from the PDF; the PDF is the version to file or print. The sample motion fits on one page; the sample testimony fills the first lines of a 25-line page.

What this tool does not do

It formats text. It does not know your court’s local rules, page limits, deadlines or filing method, and it does not check that a document contains what the law requires. Many courts also expect a proof of service, tables of contents and authorities for longer briefs, and specific forms for some filings. Self-help centres at most courthouses review formats for free.

Related tools

Number lines in ordinary text with Add Line Numbers, turn a text file into a PDF with TXT to PDF, stamp exhibits with Bates Numbering, or check length limits with the Word Counter.