Allen County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Pleadings and other documents must be signed by an attorney or pro se party, pleadings must be signed in blue ink, and electronic signatures may be accepted for facsimile filings, e-filings, or at the clerk's discretion.

The Clerk of this Court shall refuse to accept for filing any pleading or other document which is unsigned, rubber stamped, or signed by an unidentified third party not an attorney or party acting in a pro se capacity. All pleadings shall be signed in BLUE ink. Electronic signatures may be accepted for facsimile filings, e-filings, and/or at the Clerk’s discretion.

CRITICAL

The upper-right corner of the initial sheet of every pleading, motion, brief, or other record document must contain an approximately 3-inch by 3-inch blank area for the clerk's filing stamp; nonconforming documents may be rejected.

The top right hand corner of the initial sheet of every pleading, motion, brief, or other paper filed for record shall have an area approximately 3” x 3” left blank for the Clerk of this Court to file stamp the date and time of filing. The Clerk is authorized to refuse to accept any document not conforming to such requirement.

CRITICAL

An electronic signature must include the filer's name, registration number or pro se designation, firm if any, represented party unless pro se, mailing address, telephone number, facsimile number if any, and email address.

Electronic signatures shall be in this format: Attorney name (typed or printed) or party name if submitted by a self- represented litigant Attorney registration number or designation of “pro se” if submitted by 85 ===== PAGE 86 ===== a self-represented litigant Firm name, if any Identity of the party represented unless submitted “pro se” Mailing Address Telephone number Facsimile number, if any E-mail address

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

A document requiring an original signature must be e-filed in PDF format.

Documents bearing a required original signature shall be e-filed in portable document format (“pdf”).

CRITICAL

Images in every e-filed document must have a resolution of at least 300 DPI.

All e-filed documents must meet the following requirements: ● have an image resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (“DPI”);

CRITICAL

Format

PAPER

A deposition necessary for the court to decide a motion must be printed, bound, and filed with the clerk instead of, or in addition to, electronic filing.

However, depositions that are necessary for the Court to review in order to rule upon a motion must be printed, bound, and filed with the Clerk of Courts rather than or, in addition to, e-filing.

CRITICAL

Each numbered deposition page must appear on a separate page when a deposition is filed electronically.

If filing a deposition by e-filing, said filing may not include multiple numbered deposition pages on the same page (e.g., pages 1-4 of the deposition must be e-filed on four separate pages).

CRITICAL

Every e-filed document must be electronically signed in compliance with Local Rule 19.05.

All e-filed documents must meet the following requirements: ● be electronically signed (must comport with Loc.R. 19.05);

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

Proposed orders, decisions, and judgment entries must be sent directly to the assigned judge’s staff as editable Microsoft Word documents.

All proposed orders, decisions, and/or judgment entries must be sent directly to the staff of the judge assigned to the case as an editable Microsoft Word document.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

An e-filed document may not exceed 55 MB, and larger submissions must be divided into additional PDFs no larger than 55 MB each.

All e-filed documents must meet the following requirements: ● not exceed fifty-five megabytes (“55MB”) (larger submissions must be separated into additional .pdf’s of 55MB or less);

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Every e-filed document must be a searchable PDF.

All e-filed documents must meet the following requirements: ● be in a searchable portable document format (“.pdf”);

CRITICAL

E-filed documents must not contain links to other material.

All e-filed documents must meet the following requirements: ● not contain links to other material;

WARNING

Margins

top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

All filings must provide a blank endorsement space and top, bottom, and side margins of at least one inch each.

In all filings, a blank space for endorsement thereon and shall have appropriate top, bottom, and side margins of not less than one inch each.

WARNING

Format

PAPER

Pleadings, motions, and other litigation documents must be typewritten or legibly printed and securely bound at the top unless filed electronically.

All pleadings, motions, and other litigation documents shall be typewritten or legibly printed on paper that is securely bound at the top (unless filed electronically).

WARNING

Pleadings, motions, briefs, and similar filings must be typewritten or printed, double-spaced on letter-size paper, use at least 12-point regular type, be one-sided, and be sequentially paginated.

All pleadings, motions, briefs and other similar documents that are filed with the Clerk shall be typewritten or printed, double spaced on 8 ½” x 11” paper, in at least a 12 point regular type font, one- sided, and paginated sequentially.