Rule 7.1.Form and Formatting of Pleadings, Motions, and Other Documents.

Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified September 11, 2026

In one sentenceRule 7.1 sets the physical form of every document filed: paper, margins, type, spacing, and the caption that must appear on the first page.

Full Text of Rule 7.1

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) (a) Form. All pleadings, motions, and other documents to be filed shall be typewritten, printed, photocopied, or otherwise similarly prepared by a duplication process that will produce clear and permanent copies equally legible to printing. Conventionally filed documents shall be printed upon unruled, opaque, unglazed white paper of standard quality not less than 13 pound weight, 8 ½ x 11 inches in size with a portrait orientation. Each sheet of text shall have a margin at the top and bottom of 1 inch (except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this Rule). Each sheet of text shall have a left-hand and right-hand side margin and each margin shall be not less than 1 inch. The text of all documents shall be printed in black. The type shall be standard 12 point Times New Roman, Arial, or equivalent. For conventionally filed documents, copies, but not originals, may be two-sided. The lines on each page shall be double-spaced or one and one-half spaced; provided, however, descriptions of real property, and quotations, may be single spaced. All pages shall be numbered consecutively at the bottom. Conventionally filed documents shall be firmly bound together at the top and exhibits may be fastened to pages of the specified size. Documents, when prepared by a machine-copying process, shall be equal to typewritten material in legibility and permanency of image. Conventional signatures and all other original hand-written entries on documents shall be in black or blue ink. The name of the person signing the pleading, motion, or other document shall be typed or printed in block letters directly below the signature.

(b) (b) No blank sheet shall be attached to any pleading, motion, or other document. No blank sheet shall be attached to the front or back of any pleading, motion, or other document. All pleadings, motions, or other documents shall be filed without backs and shall be neat, clean, legible and free of interlineations.

(c) (c) Caption; form of first page. The first page of every pleading, motion or other document shall contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the case number, and the name of the pleading, motion, or other document as described below. The first page of each document shall have either a 3-inch top margin or a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner, to accommodate an electronic file stamp. The first page of each document shall also have a 1.5 inch bottom margin to accommodate a court certification. The first page of each document, except as provided below in (d) shall be in the following form:

(1) (1) The space at the top left of the page shall contain the name, attorney number, office address, telephone number, facsimile number (if any), and electronic mail address of the attorney for the party on whose behalf the document is filed, or of the party if the party is not represented by an attorney and if no order has been filed designating the party’s information confidential;

(2) (2) Next, the name of the court shall be centered and not less than 3 inches from the top of the page;

(3) (3) Next, the space to the left of the center of the page shall contain the title of the case (which title shall include the names of all of the parties in the initial pleading, but thereafter may be appropriately abbreviated);

(4) (4) In the space to the right of the title to the case, there shall be listed the case number, the title of the document, and the title of each additional document that is attached as required by (d) below; and

(5) (5) Next, there shall be centered the title of the document itself.

(d) (d) Two or more documents filed together. Except as otherwise provided in this Rule, where 2 or more documents are filed together, only the first page of the first document shall follow all of the requirements of (c) above. The top of the first page of each of the subsequent documents shall start with the name of the court and include the case number, the title of the case and the title of that document itself, in the appropriate spaces as set forth in (c) above. Where a document is electronically filed with attached exhibits, it shall be filed in accordance with Rule 2.3 of the Hawaiʻi Electronic Filing and Service Rules and each exhibit shall have either a 3-inch top margin or a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner, to accommodate an electronic file stamp.

(e) (e) Proposed findings, conclusions, orders, or judgments submitted for signature. Proposed findings, conclusions, orders, or judgments which are attached to a coversheet and submitted for signature pursuant to these Rules shall also comply with all of the requirements of (c) above.

(f) (f) Sanctions. The court may impose sanctions for non-compliance with these Rules.

End

Amendment History

(Amended March 30, 2022, effective April 25, 2022.)

Plain-English Summary

The formatting rule, and it is specific. Conventionally filed documents go on unruled, opaque, unglazed white paper of at least 13 pound weight, 8 1/2 by 11 inches, portrait. Margins run 1 inch at top, bottom and both sides. Type is standard 12 point Times New Roman, Arial or equivalent, printed in black, double-spaced or one and one-half spaced, with real property descriptions and quotations allowed to run single spaced. Pages are numbered at the bottom. Handwritten entries go in black or blue ink, and the signer name is typed or block-printed below the signature.

Subdivision (b) bans blank sheets front or back, bans backs entirely, and asks for documents that are neat, clean, legible and free of interlineations.

The caption rules repay careful reading, because they are built around the electronic file stamp. The first page needs either a 3-inch top margin or a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner, plus a 1.5 inch bottom margin for the court certification. Attorney details go top left, the court name is centred at least 3 inches down, the case title sits left of centre, the case number and document title sit right of it, and the document own title is centred below.

When documents are filed together only the first carries the full caption; the rest need the court name, case number, case title and their own title. Exhibits on an electronic filing each need the file-stamp space too. Proposed findings, orders and judgments must meet the caption requirements, and the court may sanction non-compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What font and size does Hawaii family court require?

Standard 12 point Times New Roman, Arial, or an equivalent, printed in black.

What margins does the first page need?

Either a 3-inch top margin or a 3-inch-by-3-inch space in the top right corner for the electronic file stamp, plus a 1.5 inch bottom margin for the court certification.

Can filings be printed double-sided?

Copies may be two-sided for conventionally filed documents. Originals may not.

What goes in the caption?

The name of the court, the title of the action, the case number, and the name of the document, laid out in the order subdivision (c) prescribes.

What happens if a document does not comply?

The court may impose sanctions. Separately, Rule 5(g) bars the clerk from refusing a document for filing solely because its form is wrong.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Hawaii Family Court Rules (Haw. Fam. Ct. R. 7.1). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 11, 2026. · Official source

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