Rule 7.Pleadings and Motions

Last amended July 1, 2019 · Last verified July 1, 2026

In one sentenceRule 7 lists the only pleadings Ohio civil procedure allows — a complaint, an answer, and a narrow set of replies and third-party pleadings — and defines a motion as any application for a court order, telling parties what a motion must say and letting courts streamline how they are decided.

Full Text of Rule 7

Text sizeJump to: (A) (B)

A Pleadings

There shall be a complaint and an answer; a reply to a counterclaim denominated as such; an answer to a cross-claim, if the answer contains a cross-claim; a third-party complaint, if a person who was not an original party is summoned under the provisions of Civ.R. 14; and a third-party answer, if a third-party complaint is served. No other pleading shall be allowed, except that the court may order a reply to an answer or a third-party answer.

B Motions

1 An application to the court for an order shall be by motion which, unless made during a hearing or a trial, shall be made in writing. A motion, whether written or oral, shall state with particularity the grounds therefor, and shall set forth the relief or order sought. A written motion, and any supporting affidavits, shall be served in accordance with Civ.R. 5 unless the motion may be heard ex parte.

2 To expedite its business, the court may make provision by rule or order not inconsistent with these rules for the submission and determination of motions without oral hearing upon brief written statements of reasons in support and opposition.

3 The rules applicable to captions, signing, and other matters of form of pleading apply to all motions and other papers provided for by these rules.

4 All motions shall be signed in accordance with Civ.R. 11.

Amendment History

Effective Date: July 1, 1970

Amended: July 1, 1984; July 1, 2014; July 1, 2015; July 1, 2019

Staff Note (July 1, 2014 Amendment)

Rule 7(C) abolishing demurrers is deleted, corresponding to the 2007 deletion of former Federal Rul©(c). Demurrers are unknown in Ohio modern practice, having been replaced in 1970 by Civ.R. 12(B)(6) with the adoption of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure. As the 2007 Federal Advisory Committee Note stated: “Former Rule 7(c) is deleted because it has done its work.”

Staff Note (July 1, 2015 Amendment)

Rule 7(B) is amended by eliminating the reference to a "notice of hearing" which is no longer required by Civ.R. 6(B).

Staff Note (July 1, 2019 Amendment)

Division (B)(2)

Division (B)(2) of the rule is amended to ensure that any local rule or order of the court relating to the submission and determination of motions is not inconsistent with the provisions of any other Rule of Civil Procedure (e.g., Civ.R. 6).

Plain-English Summary

Division (A) names the complete list of pleadings: a complaint; an answer; a reply to a counterclaim labeled as such; an answer to a cross-claim if the answer contains one; a third-party complaint, if a person not an original party is summoned as a third-party defendant; and a third-party answer, if a third-party complaint is served. No other pleading is allowed, except that a court may order a reply to an answer or a third-party answer for good cause.

Division (B) defines a motion as an application to the court for an order, ordinarily required to be in writing and stating its grounds and the relief sought with particularity, unless it is made during a hearing or trial. Courts may adopt their own rules or orders — so long as those rules do not conflict with the Civil Rules — for handling routine motions on written submissions instead of oral argument. Motions follow the same formal rules of captioning and signing that apply to every other pleading, and every motion must be signed as Rule 11 requires.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pleadings does Ohio civil procedure allow besides a complaint and an answer?

A reply to a counterclaim, an answer to a cross-claim, a third-party complaint, and a third-party answer — and, if a court orders one for good cause, a reply to an answer or a third-party answer. No other pleading is permitted.

Does a motion have to be in writing?

Generally, yes. Rule 7(B) requires a motion to be in writing and to state its grounds and the relief requested with particularity, unless the motion is made during a hearing or trial.

Can a court decide a motion without holding a hearing?

Yes. Rule 7(B)(2) lets a court, by its own rule or order not inconsistent with the Civil Rules, provide for submitting and deciding motions on written statements of reasons rather than oral argument.

Source & verification. The rule text, Effective Date, Amended dates, and Staff Notes are reproduced verbatim from the official Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure (Ohio R. Civ. P. 7). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Ohio (Ohio Constitution, Art. IV, § 5(B)). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: motion practicepleadings allowedapplication for a court order