Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

Requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law in non-jury cases must be in MS Word format.

In non-jury cases, requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law shall be submitted in electronic form in MS Word format to Judge_Brown_Chambers@lancastercountypacourt.gov.

CRITICAL

Briefs must be submitted on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper and double-spaced.

D. Briefs shall be submitted on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and shall be double-spaced.

CRITICAL

Unless the parties reach an agreement beforehand, the specified participants must appear in person, and local or appearance counsel may not be used.

Unless an agreement is reached prior to the scheduled conciliation conference, the plaintiff’s attorney of record, the defendant, or the defendant’s attorney of record shall appear in person at the conciliation conference. Use of local or appearance counsel is not permitted.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Petitions for exoneration or remittance must be in writing.

All petitions for exoneration or remittance must be made in writing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Petition

Petitions for exoneration or remittance must be in writing.

All petitions for exoneration or remittance must be made in writing.

CRITICAL

Briefs must be submitted on 8½-by-11-inch paper and be double-spaced.

Briefs shall be submitted on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and shall be double-spaced.

CRITICAL

Motions must conform to the form required by Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 208.2.

A motion shall be in the form required by Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.2.

CRITICAL

Consents to adoption must use the form required by the Adoption Act and be completed exactly.

All consents to adoption shall be in the form required by the Adoption Act and shall be completed with exactitude.

CRITICAL

Exhibits must be serially numbered and physically marked before trial in accordance with the exhibit schedule.

A. The exhibits shall be serially numbered and be physically marked before trial in accordance with the schedule.

CRITICAL

At a virtual conference, plaintiffs and defendant’s counsel must appear by video unless the Court permits telephone participation, unrepresented defendants may use video or telephone, and all appearing parties or attorneys must have actual settlement authority.

If the conference is held virtually utilizing advance communication technology, Plaintiffs shall appear by video, unless granted an exception by the Court to participate by telephone. Defendant’s counsel shall also appear by video, unless granted an exception by the Court to participate by telephone. Unrepresented Defendants may participate by video or by telephone without exception. All parties or attorneys who appear at the conciliation must have actual settlement authority.

CRITICAL

A substantially prescribed order must be attached on top of a custody complaint or visitation or custody-modification petition.

The order to be attached on top of a complaint for custody or petition for visitation or to modify custody shall be in substantially the following form:

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Electronic filings must be submitted in PDF format; the e-File system automatically converts them to PDF/A.

All electronic filings shall be in PDF format. The e-File system will automatically convert any filing to PDF/A format.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury instructions

Unless the judge orders otherwise, jury-instruction requests must be submitted in MS Word format.

unless the judge orders otherwise, such requests shall be filed ten (10) days before commencement of the trial in electronic form in MS Word format to Judge_Brown_Chambers@lancastercountypacourt.gov

CRITICAL

A proof of service must conform to Pa. R.A.P. No. 122.

A proof of service shall conform to Pa. R.A.P. No. 122.

CRITICAL

The moving party must present the original discovery motion and one copy to the Court.

The moving party shall present an original and one copy of the motion to the Court.

CRITICAL

The document must place the proposed Order first, followed by the notice, petition or motion and supporting exhibits, verification, and certificate of service.

The document shall be assembled so that the proposed Order is on top, followed by the notice of presentation, next by the petition or motion with any supporting exhibits, next by the verification, and finally by the certificate of service.

CRITICAL

Each proposed special jury instruction must be printed on a single page.

If counsel desires any special instruction(s), each proposed individual instruction must be printed on a single page and it must include legal citation.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Consent to adoption

Adoption consents must use the form required by the Adoption Act and be completed with exactitude.

All consents to adoption shall be in the form required by the Adoption Act and shall be completed with exactitude.

CRITICAL

When a party has more than five exhibits to introduce, the exhibits must be presented electronically on separate thumb drives for the court and the clerk.

If a party has more than five (5) exhibits to introduce, the exhibits shall be presented to the court electronically on a thumb drive for the court and a thumb drive for his clerk.

WARNING

Pre-trial statements must use the form prescribed by Pa.R.Civ.P. No. 212.2.

The pre-trial statement shall be in the form prescribed by Pa.R.Civ.P. No. 212.2.

WARNING

Legal papers must not have a manuscript cover or backing, including a blue back or firm identification strip.

No manuscript cover or manuscript backing such as a blue back or firm identification strip shall be attached to any legal papers.

WARNING

Counsel may publish exhibits electronically on the day of trial, but an exhibit intended for admission must, if possible, have a printed version of its image.

On the day of trial, counsel may publish exhibits electronically, but any exhibit that counsel intends to admit into evidence must be backed up by a printed version of the image if possible.

WARNING

Supporting documentation must be filed in chronological order, with oldest-to-newest ordering preferred.

Supporting documentation, i.e., credit card statements, must be filed in chronological order, preferably oldest to newest.

WARNING

Case and article citations in written jury-instruction requests must be pinpoint citations.

Case and article citations shall be pinpoint.

WARNING

Originals must be marked “ORIGINAL” and copies must be marked “COPY”.

D. All originals shall be marked “ORIGINAL”. Copies shall be marked “COPY”.

WARNING

Place tabs at the bottom of all exhibits and appendices.

Tabs shall be placed at the bottom of all exhibits and appendices.

WARNINGCriminal cases

The ARD application and Motion for Trial Continuance and Waiver must use the approved form.

A. Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) applications shall be submitted to the Office of the District Attorney using the approved form. A defendant shall simultaneously submit a Motion for Trial Continuance and Waiver using the approved form.

WARNING

File briefs and memoranda separately; do not append them to other documents.

Briefs and memoranda shall be filed separately and not appended to other documents.

WARNING

Number each page at the bottom center and place the case number in at least 12-point font at the upper right of every page.

Each page shall be numbered at the bottom center of the page. The case number shall appear, in twelve point font or larger, in the upper right hand corner of each page.

WARNING

Legal papers must be stapled once at the upper left corner, and the staple must remain uncovered.

Legal papers shall be stapled once in the upper left hand corner. No tape or other material shall cover the staple.

WARNING

Each proposed instruction should be on a separate sheet of paper, double spaced, and should include citation to specific authority.

Each proposed instruction should be on a separate sheet of paper, double spaced, and should include citation to specific authority.

WARNING

They should be submitted to chambers on hard copy and via electronic mail in MS Word format at Judge_Brown_Chambers@lancastercountypacourt.gov.

They should be submitted to chambers on hard copy and via electronic mail in MS Word format at Judge_Brown_Chambers@lancastercountypacourt.gov.

WARNING

Applies to

Loss mitigation package

Format

PDF

The lender’s loss mitigation package must be provided in PDF format.

4. a PDF version of the lender’s loss mitigation package

WARNING

When modifying a model jury instruction, additions should be underlined and deletions placed in brackets.

If a party modifies a model jury instruction, the additions should be underlined, and deletions should be placed in brackets.

WARNING

Credit card statements filed as supporting documentation must be arranged chronologically.

Any credit card statements that are filed shall be filed in chronological order.

WARNING

Legal papers must not have a manuscript cover or backing, including a blue back or firm identification strip.

No manuscript cover or manuscript backing such as a blue back or firm identification strip shall be attached to any legal papers.

WARNING

Exhibits submitted with the index must be sized 8-1/2 by 11 inches.

Index of exhibits form must be completed, signed, and submitted to the appropriate Records office with all exhibits sized at 8-1/2 x 11 inch documents

WARNING

Electronic filings should, to the extent practicable, follow applicable paper-document formatting rules and any additional format required by the Court.

To the extent practicable it shall be formatted in accordance with the applicable rules governing formatting of paper documents, and in such other and further format as the Court may require from time to time.

WARNING

In the specified divorce actions, after all pleadings and other documents have been filed, either party may file a praecipe in the form prescribed by Pa.R.C.P. No. 1920.73.

Pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. No. 1920.5l(a)(2)(ii), no master will be appointed where a divorce action contains a claim for divorce under Section 3301(c) or Section 3301(d) of the Domestic Relations Code and there are no claims for equitable distribution, alimony, counsel fees, costs and expenses or there are no other factual disputes and there is no agreement to be incorporated into the divorce decree. Instead, after all pleadings and other documents have been filed, either party may file with the Prothonotary a praecipe in the form prescribed by Pa.R.C.P. No. 1920.73, and the Prothonotary shall transmit the record to the Court, which shall review the record and enter an appropriate decree.

WARNING

Any credit card statements filed must be arranged in chronological order.

Any credit card statements that are filed shall be filed in chronological order.

WARNING

Legal papers must be stapled once in the upper-left corner, and nothing may cover the staple.

Legal papers shall be stapled once in the upper left hand corner. No tape or other material shall cover the staple.

WARNING

A motion must use the form required by Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.2.

A motion shall be in the form required by Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.2.

WARNING

Exhibits and appendices must have tabs at the bottom.

F. Tabs shall be placed at the bottom of all exhibits and appendices.

WARNING

Each page must be numbered at the bottom center and show the case number in at least 12-point font in the upper-right corner.

E. Each page shall be numbered at the bottom center of the page. The case number shall appear, in twelve point font or larger, in the upper right hand corner of each page.

WARNING

Supporting documentation must be filed chronologically, preferably from oldest to newest.

Supporting documentation, i.e., credit card statements, must be filed in chronological order, preferably oldest to newest.

WARNING

Exhibits submitted with the index must be sized as 8½-by-11-inch documents.

Index of exhibits form must be completed, signed, and submitted to the appropriate Records office with all exhibits sized at 8-1/2 x 11 inch documents

WARNING

The rule calls for expedited discovery-motion practice and concise discovery motions and responses.

It is the intention of this Rule that discovery motion practice be expedited and that discovery motions and responses be concise.

WARNING

Evidence to be published by projection must have a corresponding hard copy that can be marked and kept for the record.

Any evidence that a party plans to publish by projection shall have a corresponding hard copy which can be marked and maintained for the record.

WARNING

Counsel who publish exhibits electronically must use their own equipment.

Any counsel seeking to publish exhibits via an electronic format are required to utilize their own equipment.

WARNING

The typed name of each signer must appear beneath that person’s signature.

G. The name of each person signing a legal paper shall be typed beneath the person’s signature.

WARNING

Mark original legal papers “ORIGINAL” and copies “COPY.”

All originals shall be marked “ORIGINAL”. Copies shall be marked “COPY”.

WARNING

Proposed jury instructions should be submitted to chambers in MS Word format.

Counsel should submit a copy of the proposed jury instructions to chambers via electronic mail at Judge_Brown_Chambers@lancastercountypacourt.gov in electronic form in MS Word format.

INFO

Binder exhibits are not required because the court can use the electronic exhibit set.

There is no need to provide binder exhibits as it is easier for the court to use the electronic set.

INFO

Oral motions for nonsuit or judgment as a matter of law in jury trials, and for involuntary dismissal in non-jury trials, are ordinarily permitted.

Motions for nonsuit or judgment as a matter of law in jury trials and motions for an involuntary dismissal in non-jury trials is ordinarily permitted by oral motion.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Electronic filings must be PDFs, formatted consistently with applicable paper-document rules to the extent practicable and as the Court may otherwise require; the system converts filings to PDF/A.

To the extent practicable it shall be formatted in accordance with the applicable rules governing formatting of paper documents, and in such other and further format as the Court may require from time to time. All electronic filings shall be in PDF format. The e-File system will automatically convert any filing to PDF/A format.