Rule 2.010.Form of Documents

Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026

In one sentenceUTCR 2.010 sets the standard form for documents filed in Oregon circuit courts — paper size, spacing, margins, signatures, captions, exhibits, paragraph numbering, and the blank space a judge needs to sign — unless a statute or another rule prescribes a different form.

Full Text of Rule 2.010

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Except where a different form is specified by statute or rule, the form of any document, including pleadings and motions, filed in any type of proceeding must be as prescribed in this rule.

(1) “Printed Document,” as used in this rule, means any document wholly or partially printed.

(2) Size of Documents. All documents, except exhibits and wills, must be prepared in a manner that, if printed, would be letter-size (8-1/2 x 11 inches), except that smaller sizes may be used for bench warrants, commitments, uniform citations and complaints and other documents otherwise designated by the court.

(3) Documents Must be Printed or Typed; Binding Documents; Use of Staples Generally Prohibited

(a) All documents must be printed or typed, except that blanks in preprinted forms may be completed in handwriting and notations by the trial court administrator or judge may be made in handwriting.

(b) Pleadings and other documents submitted to the court for filing that are not electronically filed must be bound by paperclip or binder clip and must not contain staples. If the document includes an attachment, including a documentary exhibit, an affidavit, or a declaration, then the attachment must be bound in one packet to the document being filed by paperclip or binder clip.

(c) A document or document with attachments submitted to chambers must be stapled as one packet or otherwise bound as practical, depending on the size of the document and attachments.

(4) Spacing and Paging

(a) All pleadings, motions, and requested instructions must be double-spaced.

(b) All other documents may be single-spaced.

(d) All documents, except exhibits and wills, shall be prepared with a one-inch margin on each side.

(5) Party Signatures and Electronic Court Signatures

(a) The name of the party or attorney signing any pleading or motion must be typed or printed immediately below the signature. All signatures must be dated.

(b) When a document to be conventionally filed contains the signature of the filer, the filer may sign the document using either an original signature, an electronic signature, or an authenticated signature, as those terms are defined in UTCR 1.110.

(c) When a document to be conventionally filed contains the signature of someone other than the filer, the document may be signed using either an original signature, or an authenticated signature as defined in UTCR 1.110. If the document contains an authenticated signature:

(i) The filer certifies by filing that, to the best of the party’s knowledge after appropriate inquiry, the signature purporting to be that of the signer is in fact that of the signer.

(ii) Unless the court orders otherwise, the filer must retain the electronic document until entry of a general judgment or other judgment or order that conclusively disposes of the action.

(d) The court may issue judicial decisions electronically and may affix a signature by electronic means.

(i) The trial court administrator must maintain the security and control of the means for affixing electronic court signatures.

(ii) Only the judge and the trial court administrator, or the judge’s or trial court administrator’s designee, may access the means for affixing electronic court signatures.

(6) Attorney or Litigant Information. All documents must include the author’s court contact information under UTCR 1.110 and, if prepared by an attorney, the name, email address, and the bar number of the author and the trial attorney assigned to try the case. Law firm and attorney logos, watermarks, or other such images must not appear on any pleading, motion, order, judgment, or writ.

(7) Distinct Paragraphs. All paragraphs in a pleading or motion must be numbered consecutively in the center of the page with Arabic numerals, beginning with the first paragraph of the document and continuing through the last. Subdivisions within a paragraph must be designated by lower case letters, enclosed in parentheses, placed at the left margin of each subdivision.

(8) Exhibits

(a) When an exhibit is appended to a filed document, each page of the exhibit must be identified by the word “Exhibit” or “Ex” to appear at the bottom right-hand side of the exhibit, followed by an Arabic numeral identifying the exhibit. Each page number of the exhibit must appear in Arabic numerals immediately below the exhibit number; e.g.: “Exhibit 2 Page 10”

(b) Exhibits appended to a pleading may be incorporated by reference in a later pleading.

(c) Except where otherwise required by statute, an exhibit appended to a document must be limited to only material, including an excerpt from another document, that is directly and specifically related to the subject of, and referred to in, the document. A responding party may timely file an additional excerpt or the complete document that the party believes is directly and specifically related. The court may require a party to file an additional excerpt or the complete document.

(d) A party shall not file a nondocumentary exhibit without prior leave of the court. A nondocumentary exhibit consisting of an electronic recording may be transcribed and filed in documentary format consistent with this rule. If the court grants leave to file a nondocumentary exhibit, the exhibit must be conventionally filed on a medium, including appropriate software where necessary, that allows the exhibit to be played or viewed on existing court equipment. Nondocumentary exhibits may be returned to the custody of the attorney for the submitting party pursuant to UTCR 6.120. The court may charge a reasonable fee to restore or clean, pursuant to Judicial Department policy and standards, court equipment used to play or view a nondocumentary electronic exhibit. This rule does not apply to evidence submitted in electronic format pursuant to UTCR 6.190.

(9) Information at Bottom of Each Page. The name of the document, and the page number expressed in Arabic numerals, must appear at the bottom left-hand side of each page of each document.

(10) Caption

(a) Each document submitted to the court for filing must include a caption located near the top of the first page that identifies the following:

(i) The court to which the document is being submitted for filing;

(ii) The names of the parties;

(iii) An identification of the parties’ roles;

(iv) The case number; and

(v) A document title that identifies the document being filed, for example, “complaint,” “answer,” or “motion for stay.” Except for the complaint or petition initiating the case, or the initial answer or response, the document title must identify the filing party, for example, “Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment.” When there are multiple parties on a side, the document title must suitably identify the party submitting the document, for example, “Plaintiff Smith’s Motion for Stay” or “Defendant MegaCorp’s Motion to Dismiss.”

(b) The document title of each complaint or petition must indicate the type of claim, such as “personal injury,” “breach of contract,” “specific performance,” or “reformation of contract.” If more than one claim for relief is requested, then the body of the pleading also must indicate the type of claim, at the beginning of each claim for relief.

(c) Every motion directed at a pleading must show in the document title the name of the pleading against which it is directed.

(11) Orders, Judgments, or Writs

(a) The body of a proposed order, judgment, or writ must clearly state the substance of the court’s ruling.

(b) The judge’s signature portion of any order, judgment, or writ prepared for the court must appear on a page containing at least two lines of the text. A proposed order or judgment, or any other document that requires court signature, must include, for the purpose of affixing a signature and signature date, a blank space of not less than 1.5 inches and a blank line following the last line of text.

Example:

Petitioner’s motion for a stay is granted. The proceedings in this action are held in abeyance pending further notification from petitioner of completion of the conditions set out in this order.

(at least 1.5 inches of blank space following last line of text)

____________________________________________

(c) If the order, judgment, or writ is prepared by a party, the name and identity of the party submitting the order must appear therein, preceded by the words “submitted by.” See the commentary to this subsection, located at the end of this rule.

(d) A motion must be submitted as a separate document from any proposed form of order deciding the motion. A motion submitted as a single document with an order may not be filed unless the order has been ruled upon and signed by a judge.

(12) Citation of Oregon Cases

(a) In all matters submitted to the circuit courts, Oregon cases must be cited by reference to the Oregon Reports as: Blank v. Blank, Or (year) or as

State v. Blank, Or App (year). Parallel citations may be added.

(b) A nonprecedential memorandum opinion issued by the Oregon Court of Appeals under ORAP 10.30(1) may not be cited unless the opinion is relevant under the law of the case doctrine, the rules of claim preclusion or issue preclusion, or if no precedent addresses the issue before the court. A citation to a nonprecedential memorandum must include a parenthetical indicating that the case is a “nonprecedential memorandum opinion” and explaining the reason for citing the opinion and how it is relevant to the issues presented.

(13) Notice of Address or Telephone Number Change. An attorney or self-represented party whose court contact information changes must immediately provide notice of that change to the trial court administrator and all other parties.

(14) Application to Court Forms. Forms created by the Oregon Judicial Department are not required to comply with the provisions of UTCR 2.010(4), (7), (10)(a)(v), or (10)(c) where the Oregon Judicial Department determines variation from those provisions will promote administrative convenience for courts or parties. Such forms and exact copies of such forms may be used and submitted to courts without challenge under UTCR 2.010(4), (7), (10)(a)(v), or (10)(c).

1993 Commentary to section (11)(c) (updated August 1, 2023): Self-represented Parties: Subsection (c) of section (11) requires that the author include their name (signature not required), followed by an identification of the author’s role in the proceeding (petitioner, respondent, plaintiff, or defendant). Example: Submitted by:

C. D. Jones Plaintiff

Attorneys: Subsection (c) of section (11) requires that the information include the author’s name (signature not required), followed by an identification of the party being represented, plaintiff or defendant. Example: Submitted by:

A. B. Smith Attorney for Plaintiff (or Defendant)

Exception: An exception to this style would be in cases where there is more than one plaintiff or one defendant. In those situations, the author representing one defendant or plaintiff, but not all, should include the last name (full name when necessary for proper identification) after the designation of plaintiff or defendant. Example: Submitted by:

A. B. Smith Attorney for Plaintiff Clarke

1996 Commentary: The UTCR Committee strongly encourages the use of recycled paper and strongly recommends that all original pleadings, motions, requested instructions, copies, and service copies be on recycled paper having the highest available content of postconsumer waste.

End

Plain-English Summary

This is the rule that governs what a filed document looks like. It reaches any document filed in any type of proceeding, pleadings and motions included, except where a statute or another rule specifies a different form. Documents must be prepared so that, if printed, they would be letter-size, 8-1/2 x 11 inches. Exhibits and wills are excepted, and smaller sizes are allowed for bench warrants, commitments, uniform citations and complaints, and other documents the court designates. Everything must be printed or typed, though blanks in preprinted forms may be completed by hand, and the trial court administrator or judge may write notations by hand.

Paper filings must not contain staples. Bind the document, and any attachment such as a documentary exhibit, affidavit, or declaration, into one packet with a paperclip or binder clip. A document submitted to chambers gets the opposite treatment: staple it as one packet, or bind it as practical. Pleadings, motions, and requested instructions are double-spaced; other documents may be single-spaced. Leave two inches blank at the top of the first page of a pleading or similar document, and a one-inch margin on each side of every document except exhibits and wills.

Sign and date. The name of the party or attorney signing a pleading or motion is typed or printed immediately below the signature, and all signatures carry a date. On a conventional filing, the filer may use an original, electronic, or authenticated signature as UTCR 1.110 defines those terms. Where the signature belongs to someone other than the filer, only an original or an authenticated signature will do, and filing an authenticated signature certifies that the signature is the signer's after appropriate inquiry and, unless the court orders otherwise, obliges the filer to keep the electronic document until entry of a judgment or order that conclusively disposes of the action. Every document carries the author's court contact information and, if an attorney prepared it, the name, email address, and bar number of the author and of the trial attorney assigned to try the case. Firm logos and watermarks stay off pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, and writs.

The caption near the top of the first page identifies the court, the parties, their roles, the case number, and a document title. After the initiating complaint or petition and the initial answer or response, the title must name the filing party, and where several parties sit on one side it must say which one is filing. Paragraphs in a pleading or motion are numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals down the center of the page. Exhibit pages are marked at the bottom right in the pattern Exhibit 2 Page 10, and the document name and page number run along the bottom left of every page. A proposed order, judgment, or writ must put the judge's signature portion on a page holding at least two lines of text and leave a blank space of not less than 1.5 inches with a blank line after the last line of text, and a motion has to be a separate document from the proposed order deciding it. Oregon cases are cited to the Oregon Reports. Forms created by the Oregon Judicial Department are exempt from several of these requirements where the Department determines that variation will promote administrative convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I staple my court filing in Oregon?

Not if you are filing it conventionally. A pleading or other document submitted for filing on paper must be bound by paperclip or binder clip and must not contain staples, and any attachment goes in the same packet the same way.

Documents sent to chambers follow the opposite instruction: staple them as one packet, or bind them as practical given the size of the document and its attachments.

What spacing and margins does an Oregon pleading need?

Pleadings, motions, and requested instructions must be double-spaced. Other documents may be single-spaced. Leave two inches blank at the top of the first page of a pleading or similar document, and a one-inch margin on each side of every document except exhibits and wills.

How much blank space do I leave for the judge's signature?

A blank space of not less than 1.5 inches, followed by a blank line, after the last line of text. The judge's signature portion also has to appear on a page that contains at least two lines of the text itself, so the signature never lands on a page of its own.

Keep the motion and the proposed order as separate documents. A motion combined with an order in one document may not be filed unless a judge has already ruled on and signed the order.

What has to appear in the caption and document title?

The caption identifies the court, the names of the parties, their roles, the case number, and a document title naming what is being filed. Except for the initiating complaint or petition and the initial answer or response, the title must identify the filing party, and where more than one party sits on a side it must say which one.

A complaint or petition title also indicates the type of claim, and if more than one claim for relief is requested the body of the pleading states the type of claim at the beginning of each claim for relief. A motion aimed at a pleading shows in its title the name of the pleading it attacks.

How do I label exhibits attached to a filing?

Each page of an appended exhibit carries the word Exhibit or Ex at the bottom right, followed by an Arabic numeral for the exhibit, with the exhibit page number in Arabic numerals immediately below it — the pattern the rule gives is Exhibit 2 Page 10.

Keep the exhibit tight to the point. Except where a statute requires more, an appended exhibit is limited to material directly and specifically related to the subject of the document and referred to in it. A responding party may timely file a further excerpt or the complete document, and the court may require one. A nondocumentary exhibit needs leave of the court before filing.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Oregon Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR 2.010). Prescribed by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court (UTCR 1.020). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 12, 2026. · Official source

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