(a) Caption; Names of Parties. Every pleading shall contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the county, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation as in Rule 7(a). In the complaint 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.
Rule 10.Form of Pleadings.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified July 8, 2026
In one sentenceRule 10 sets the physical form every pleading must follow — what goes in the caption, how paragraphs get numbered and organized, and how a party can incorporate other material or attach an exhibit instead of restating it.
Full Text of Rule 10
(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.
Amendment History
Rhode Island does not publish a per-rule amendment history inside the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own February 2024 printing; for the underlying adopting orders and any later amendments, see the Rhode Island Judiciary’s compiled rules page.
Plain-English Summary
Every pleading needs a caption with the name of the court, the county, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation like the ones described in Rule 7(a). A complaint’s title has to include the names of all the parties, but later pleadings can just name the first party on each side along with an indication that others are involved.
Inside the pleading, every averment of a claim or defense goes in a numbered paragraph, and each paragraph should be limited, so far as practical, to a single set of circumstances, so it can be referred to by number later in the case. Each claim based on a separate transaction or occurrence, and each defense other than a denial, should get its own count or defense whenever separating them makes the pleading clearer.
A party doesn’t have to repeat itself: statements made in one part of a pleading can be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading, in another pleading, or in a motion. And when a written instrument is attached as an exhibit to a pleading, the copy becomes part of that pleading for every purpose — it doesn’t need to be recited separately in the body of the document.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to appear in a pleading's caption?
The name of the court, the county, the title of the action, the file number, and a designation like those used under Rule 7(a). A complaint’s caption has to name every party; later pleadings can identify just the first party on each side.
Do I have to number my paragraphs?
Yes. Every averment of a claim or defense goes into a numbered paragraph, kept where practical to a single set of circumstances, so it can be cited by number in later filings. Claims from separate transactions, and defenses other than denials, get their own count or defense when that makes the pleading easier to follow.
Can I attach a document as an exhibit instead of quoting it in the pleading?
Yes. A copy of a written instrument attached as an exhibit becomes part of the pleading for all purposes, and statements from one part of a pleading can be adopted by reference elsewhere in that pleading, another pleading, or a motion, without having to restate them.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Rhode Island Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (R.I. Super. Ct. R. Civ. P. 10). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-6-2). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: how to caption a complaintnumbered paragraphs in a pleadingattaching an exhibit to a complaintpleading form requirementsidentifying parties in a captionseparate counts for separate claims