Ch. III: Pleadings and Motions · Last amended 2018 · Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified September 9, 2026
In one sentenceRule 10 governs the look of a pleading: a caption naming the court and the case, numbered paragraphs each holding a single set of circumstances, and exhibits that count as part of the pleading.
(a)Caption: Names of Parties. Every pleading shall contain a caption setting forth the name of the Court, the title of the action, a title of the pleading as set forth in Rule 7(a) and, if known, the file number and the petition number. In the petition the title of the action shall include the names of all the parties, but in other pleadings it is sufficient to state the name of the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of other parties. This requirement may be met by using Family Court created forms and filling them out completely.
(b)Paragraphs: Separate Statements. All averments of claim or defense shall be made in numbered paragraphs, the contents of each of which shall be limited as far as practicable to a statement of a single set of circumstances; and a paragraph may be referred to by number in all succeeding pleadings. Each claim founded upon a separate transaction or occurrence and each defense other than denials shall be stated in a separate count or defense whenever a separation facilitates the clear presentation of the matters set forth.
(c)Adoption by Reference: Exhibits. Statements in a pleading may be adopted by reference in a different part of the same pleading or in another pleading or in any motion. A copy of any written instrument which is an exhibit to a pleading is a part thereof for all purposes.
(d)Form of Papers and Citations. The form of papers and citations shall be in accordance with Rule 7(c) and Rule 7(b)(6).
End
Amendment History
Delaware prints each rule’s amendment history as a single “Credits” line naming every order that adopted or amended it. It is reproduced verbatim below.
[Amended effective December 1, 2018.]
Plain-English Summary
The caption. Every pleading names the court, the title of the action, the title of the pleading as Rule 7(a) sets it out and, if known, the file number and the petition number. In the petition itself, the title of the action includes the names of the parties.
Paragraphs. Averments of claim or defence go in numbered paragraphs, each confined so far as practicable to a single set of circumstances. A paragraph may then be referred to by its number in every later pleading — which is the whole reason for the numbering, and why a paragraph that tries to hold three separate facts makes every subsequent answer harder to write.
Adoption and exhibits. A statement may be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading, in another pleading, or in a motion. A copy of a written instrument attached as an exhibit is part of the pleading for all purposes — so what the document says is pleaded, whatever the pleading says about it.
What has to be in the caption of a Delaware Family Court pleading?
The name of the court, the title of the action, the title of the pleading, and if known the file number and the petition number.
Do I have to number my paragraphs?
Yes. All averments of claim or defence are made in numbered paragraphs, each limited so far as practicable to a single set of circumstances.
Is an attached document part of my pleading?
Yes. A copy of a written instrument that is an exhibit to a pleading is part of it for all purposes.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Delaware Family Court Rules of Civil Procedure (Fam. Ct. Civ. R. 10), and every rule has been checked word for word against the Delaware Family Court’s own published edition of these rules. Current through June 1, 2026. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:Delaware Family Court pleading formatnumbered paragraphs pleading DelawareFam. Ct. Civ. R. 10