RulesofCivilProcedure.com Civil Procedure · Every State

Rule 20.Form of Documents

Part I. General Administration · Last amended January 1, 2026 · Last verified September 4, 2026

In one sentenceRule 20 sets the physical form of every filing — caption, 13-point type, one-inch margins, double spacing, single-sided — with court-issued forms exempt.

Full Text of Rule 20

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Caption. The first page of every document filed with the court must contain a caption. A caption details the county, state, parties, and title of the document. Fictitious names are allowed if a party's name is unknown. When the party's true name is discovered, the pleading must be amended accordingly.
(b) Document Format
(1) Text and Background. The text of every document must be black on a plain white background. All documents filed must be single-sided.
(2) Type Size and Font. Every typed document must use at least a 13-point type size. The court prefers proportionally spaced serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, Bookman, Century, Garamond, or Book Antiqua, and discourages monospaced or sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Courier, or Calibri. Footnotes must be in at least a 13-point type size and must not appear in the space required for the bottom margin.
(3) Page Size. Each page of a document must be 8 ½ by 11 inches.
(4) Margins and Page Numbers. Page margins must be at least one inch on the top and bottom of the page and between one inch and 1 ½ inches on each side. Except for the first page, the bottom margin must include a page number.
(5) Handwritten Documents. Handwritten documents must be legible.
(6) Line Spacing. Typed text must be double-spaced.
(7) Originals. Unless filing electronically or when including attachments, only originals may be filed.
(8) Court Forms. Printed forms provided by the court or a court-authorized vendor may deviate from the requirements of this rule, but they must be single-sided. Forms provided by the superior court, the Supreme Court, or a court-authorized vendor are deemed to meet the requirements of this rule.
(9) Interstate Forms. Forms prescribed by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services for use in interstate cases according to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act comply with the requirements of this Rule. Notwithstanding (b)(7), such forms may be copies of the originals. Certified foreign orders or sworn statements of arrears also may be copies if they contain the court's or government body's official seal of authority.
(c) Electronically Filed Documents. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration (ACJA) § 1-901 governs the form of electronically filed documents, including the format, file type and size, format of exhibits and attachments, use of hyperlinks and bookmarks, and originals.
End

Rule History

Added Aug. 30, 2018, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Amended Aug. 24, 2021, effective Jan. 1, 2022; amended on an emergency basis, effective Aug. 29, 2022, permanently adopted Dec. 8, 2022, effective Jan. 1, 2023; amended Aug. 24, 2023, effective Jan. 1, 2024; amended on an emergency basis, effective Aug. 22, 2024, permanently adopted effective Dec. 3, 2024; amended Aug. 28, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 20 is the formatting rule, and it is more specific than most states'.

The caption

The first page of every document must contain a caption detailing the county, state, parties, and title of the document. Fictitious names are allowed where a party's name is unknown, and the pleading must be amended when the true name is discovered.

The format

Nine requirements:

  • black text on plain white, and all documents filed must be single-sided;
  • at least 13-point type. The court prefers proportionally spaced serif fonts — Times New Roman, Bookman, Century, Garamond, Book Antiqua — and discourages monospaced or sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Courier or Calibri. Footnotes must also be at least 13-point and must not intrude into the bottom margin;
  • pages 8½ by 11 inches;
  • margins at least one inch top and bottom, and between one inch and 1½ inches on each side, with a page number in the bottom margin of every page but the first;
  • handwritten documents must be legible;
  • typed text double-spaced;
  • unless filing electronically or including attachments, only originals may be filed;
  • court forms from the court or a court-authorized vendor may deviate, but must be single-sided, and forms from the superior court, Supreme Court or an authorized vendor are deemed compliant;
  • interstate forms prescribed by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act comply, may be copies rather than originals, and certified foreign orders or sworn statements of arrears may also be copies if they bear an official seal.

Electronic filing

Subsection (c) sends the form of electronically filed documents — format, file type and size, exhibits and attachments, hyperlinks, bookmarks and originals — to Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901, which is not carried on this site.

Rule 20 has been amended more often than any other rule in Part I; its Credits record changes in 2022, 2023, 2024 and again effective January 1, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type size do Arizona family court filings require?

At least 13-point, including footnotes. Rule 20(b)(2) states the court's preference for proportionally spaced serif fonts such as Times New Roman, Bookman, Century, Garamond or Book Antiqua, and discourages monospaced or sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Courier or Calibri.

Can I file double-sided?

No. Rule 20(b)(1) requires all documents filed to be single-sided, and Rule 20(b)(8) applies the same requirement to court-provided forms.

What margins are required?

At least one inch on the top and bottom, and between one inch and 1½ inches on each side. Except for the first page, the bottom margin must include a page number.

Do court forms have to meet these requirements?

Rule 20(b)(8) allows printed forms provided by the court or a court-authorized vendor to deviate, though they must be single-sided, and deems forms provided by the superior court, the Supreme Court or a court-authorized vendor to meet the rule.

What if I do not know the other party's name?

Rule 20(a) allows fictitious names if a party's name is unknown, and requires the pleading to be amended accordingly when the true name is discovered.

What governs electronic filings?

Rule 20(c) applies Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 to the form of electronically filed documents, including format, file type and size, exhibits and attachments, hyperlinks and bookmarks, and originals.

Source & verification. Rule text and Rule History reproduced verbatim from the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure as published by the Arizona Supreme Court, current through amendments effective January 1, 2026. Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Arizona (Ariz. Const. art. 6, § 5). Last verified September 4, 2026. · Official text
Also known as: form of documentsformattingfontmarginscaption13-point typesingle-sidedpage formatelectronic filing