California · all 58 superior courts
California pleading paper, filled in for you
Type your details and your text. Get a Word file and a PDF on 28-line pleading paper, laid out to the California Rules of Court. Free, no sign-up, and nothing leaves your browser.
Just need blank paper? Blank 28-line pleading paper (Word) ·PDF
PleadingReady is a formatting tool, not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. It only lays out the words you type. Check your court’s rules before you file. Google Docs changes the line spacing: file the PDF, or open the Word file in Word or LibreOffice.
What this tool does, and doesn't do
- It lays out your words. Line numbers, margins, the first-page caption, the footer and page numbers follow California Rules of Court 2.100–2.111.
- It doesn't write, check or suggest anything. It never tells you which document to file or what to say. For that, see your court's free self-help centre or a lawyer.
- Your document stays on your device. The PDF and Word file are made in your browser. We never see what you type. Privacy
PleadingReady is a formatting tool, not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. It only lays out the words you type. Check your court’s rules before you file.
One format for all 58 counties
Rule 2.100(a) says the Judicial Council has taken over the form and format of papers, and no superior court may make or enforce its own local rule about it. So a document for Los Angeles, Orange or San Diego Superior Court uses the same layout. Only the court's name in the caption changes.
The California rules, line by line
| Rule 2.100(a) | One statewide format: courts may not make their own local rules on the form or format of papers. |
|---|---|
| Rule 2.103 | Paper size 8½ × 11 inches. |
| Rule 2.104 | Font size not smaller than 12 points. |
| Rule 2.105 | Font essentially equivalent to Courier, Times New Roman or Arial. |
| Rule 2.106 | Black or blue-black text. |
| Rule 2.107 | Left margin at least 1 inch; right margin at least ½ inch. |
| Rule 2.108 | Lines one-and-a-half or double spaced, numbered at the left margin, starting at 1 on each page, at least 3 numbers per vertical inch, separated from the text by a ⅕-inch space or a vertical line. |
| Rule 2.109 | Pages numbered consecutively at the bottom (the number may be left off page 1). |
| Rule 2.110 | A footer on every page, below the page number and a printed line, with the document title in at least 10-point type. |
| Rule 2.111 | First page: your name and contact details from line 1, left of centre; space for the clerk on the right; the court title on line 8; the case title, case number and document title below it. |
Read on courts.ca.gov on October 29, 2026.
Why 28 lines?
The number 28 isn't in the rules. It's what the rules add up to: rule 2.108 asks for at least 3 line numbers per inch, which is a line every ⅓ inch. Starting 1 inch from the top (rule 2.111), the 8th line falls exactly 3⅓ inches down, where rule 2.111(3) puts the court's title. Twenty-eight lines of ⅓ inch then fill the page down to the footer.
Papers that use an official form
Rule 2.119 says these rules don't apply to Judicial Council forms or local court forms. Pleading paper is for papers that are typed from scratch, not for papers made on an official court form.
Motions
Rule 3.1110(b) adds a few items to the first page of motion papers, right under the case number: the hearing date, time and place and the judge (if known), the title of any attached document other than an exhibit, the date the action was filed, and the trial date, if set. The tool's "More lines under the title" box is for lines like these. Rule 3.1113 has page limits for memorandums. See theofficial text of rule 3.1110.
Word, PDF or Google Docs?
- PDF: ready to print or e-file. The text is real, searchable text with the font built in, which e-filing systems need.
- Word (.docx): uses Word's own line numbering, so you can keep editing. Works in Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.
- Google Docs: keeps the numbers but changes the line spacing, so fewer lines fit on a page. Use the PDF instead. Why
Filing a PDF electronically
- People representing themselves don't have to e-file in California civil cases, but they may (rule 2.253(b)(2)).
- E-filed documents must be text-searchable when possible (rule 2.256(b)). The tool's PDF is real text with the font built in, never a picture of a page.
- Some courts add their own e-filing requirements. For example, Los Angeles Superior Court's civil e-filing order asks for text-searchable PDFs, bookmarks for exhibits and declarations, and no password protection.
- When a proposed order is e-filed, rule 3.1312(c) asks for a PDF plus a copy in an editable word-processing format, which the Word download provides.
Official sources
- California Rules of Court, Title 2, Chapter 1 (rules 2.100–2.119)
- Rule 2.108: spacing and numbering of lines
- Rule 2.110: footer
- Rule 2.111: format of first page
- Rule 2.256: format of electronically filed documents
Rules change. If something here no longer matches the official text, please tell us.