(a) Copies of all pleadings filed and communications addressed to the court shall be furnished forthwith to all other counsel and any self-represented party. All such pleadings and communications shall contain a statement of compliance herewith.
Rule 3.Filing and Service
Group I: General Principles · Last amended September 18, 2018 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3 requires parties to promptly furnish copies of pleadings and court communications to all other counsel and self-represented parties, permits email service by stipulation in non-electronic cases, and protects filing rights for parties under no-contact orders.
Full Text of Rule 3
(b) In any case when all parties are represented by lawyers and the case is not electronically filed, all parties' counsel may agree that pleadings filed and communications addressed to the court may be furnished to all other counsel by email. An agreement may be filed with the court by stipulation. Such agreement shall list the email address(es) at which counsel agrees to be served. The email header shall include the caption of the case and its docket number. Pleadings and communications furnished in accordance with this rule shall be attached to the email in .PDF file format. Documents shall be considered signed if the signature use complies with the Supplemental Rules of the Superior Court of New Hampshire for Electronic Filing.
(c) When an attorney has filed a limited appearance under Rule 17(c) on behalf of an opposing party, copies of pleadings filed and communications addressed to the court shall be furnished both to the opposing party who is receiving the limited representation and to the limited representation attorney. After the limited representation attorney files that attorney's "withdrawal of limited appearance" form, as provided in Rule 17(f), no further service need be made upon that attorney.
(d) A no contact order in a domestic violence, stalking, or similar matter shall not be deemed to prevent either party from filing appearances, motions, objections and other appropriate filings through the court. At the request of the filing party, the court shall forward a copy of the document to the party or counsel on the other side of the case. Furthermore, the no contact provisions shall not be deemed to prevent contact between counsel, when both parties are represented.
Amendment History
Adopted May 22, 2013, eff. October 1, 2013; amended April 4, 2014, eff. May 1, 2014; July 24, 2014, eff. September 1, 2014; July 13, 2018, eff. September 18, 2018.
2018: The 2018 amendment rewrote (b).
2014: The 2014 amendment by Supreme Court Order dated July 24, 2014, in (d), substituted "objections and other appropriate filings" for "and other appropriate pleadings" in the first sentence and in the second sentence, substituted "filing party" for "party filing the pleading" and "document" for "pleading." Supreme Court Order dated April 4, 2014, added subdiv. (b) and redesignated subdivs. (b) and (c) as subdivs. (c) and (d).
Plain-English Summary
Litigation only works if everyone involved knows what has been filed. Rule 3(a) requires that every pleading filed and every communication addressed to the court be sent to all other counsel and any self-represented party right away, and each such document must state that this was done. That statement of compliance is a small detail with real consequences — omit it and you invite a challenge to your filing.
Rule 3(b) offers a shortcut for cases that are not electronically filed: if every party is represented by a lawyer, counsel can agree by stipulation to serve each other by email instead of paper. The rule sets out the mechanics — a filed stipulation listing each attorney's email address, a case caption and docket number in the email header, documents attached as PDFs, and signatures that meet the court's electronic filing requirements. Rule 3(c) extends the service obligation to limited-representation attorneys under Rule 17, requiring that both the client and the limited-appearance lawyer receive copies until the lawyer formally withdraws.
Rule 3(d) addresses a sensitive situation: a domestic violence or stalking no-contact order does not stop either party from filing appearances, motions, or other papers through the court, and the court will forward copies to the other side at the filing party's request. The rule also makes clear that a no-contact order does not block contact between the parties' attorneys when both sides are represented, so counsel can still communicate about the case even though their clients cannot communicate directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to serve every pleading and court communication on the other side, not just the court?
Yes. Rule 3(a) requires that copies of all pleadings filed and communications addressed to the court be furnished to all other counsel and any self-represented party without delay, and the document itself must state that this requirement was met.
Can attorneys agree to serve each other by email instead of mail or hand delivery?
In cases that are not electronically filed, yes, if every party is represented by a lawyer and all counsel agree. The agreement should be filed with the court by stipulation, list the email addresses to be used, and follow the format requirements in Rule 3(b), including attaching documents as PDFs.
If I have a limited-appearance attorney under Rule 17, who gets served with filings?
Both you and your limited-representation attorney must be served with copies of pleadings and communications, until the attorney files the withdrawal-of-limited-appearance form described in Rule 17(f). After that, service on the former limited-appearance attorney is no longer required.
Can a no-contact order in a domestic violence case stop someone from filing papers in their own civil case?
No. Rule 3(d) makes clear that a no-contact order does not prevent either party from filing appearances, motions, objections, or other appropriate filings. At the filing party's request, the court will forward a copy of the document to the other side.
Does a no-contact order stop the two sides' attorneys from talking to each other?
No. Rule 3(d) specifies that the no-contact provisions do not prevent contact between counsel when both parties are represented, so the lawyers can still communicate about the case.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Comments, and amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the New Hampshire Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted
by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: nh service of pleadingsemail service stipulation nhcertificate of service nh superior courtno contact order filing nhlimited appearance service nh