Part III: Pleadings, Motions, and Orders · Last amended November 1, 2025 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 10 governs the physical and formal shape of everything filed with a Utah court — captions, paragraph numbering, page format, signature lines, and how electronic filings count as originals.
(a)Caption; names of parties; other necessary information.
(1)All pleadings and other papers filed with the court must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court; the title of the action; the case number, if known; the name of the pleading or other paper; and the name, if known, of the judge (and commissioner if applicable) to whom the case is assigned. A party filing a claim for relief, whether by original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, must include in the caption the discovery tier for the case as determined under Rule 26.
(2)In the complaint, the title of the action must include the names of all the parties, but other pleadings and papers need only state the name of the first party on each side with an indication that there are other parties. A party whose name is not known must be designated by any name and the words “whose true name is unknown.” In an action in rem, unknown parties must be designated as “all unknown persons who claim any interest in the subject matter of the action.”
(3)Every pleading and other paper filed with the court must state in the top left hand corner of the first page the name; address; email address; telephone number; and, if filed by an attorney, the name and bar number of the person filing the paper and the party for whom it is filed.
(4)A party filing a claim for relief, whether by original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, must also file a completed cover sheet substantially similar in form and content to the cover sheet approved by the Judicial Council. The clerk may destroy the cover sheet after recording the information it contains.
(5)Domestic relations actions, as defined in Rule 26.1, must be captioned as follows:
(i)In petitions for divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, and temporary separation: “In the matter of the marriage of [Party A and Party B].”
(ii)In petitions to establish parentage: “In the matter of the parentage of children of [Party A and Party B].”
(iii)In petitions to otherwise establish custody, parent-time, or child support: “In the matter of the children of [Party A and Party B].”
(iv)If a domestic relations action includes additional interested parties, such as the Office of Recovery Services, they must be listed in the case caption after the text described above.
(b)Paragraphs; separate statements. All statements of claim or defense must be made in numbered paragraphs. Each paragraph must be limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances; and a paragraph may be adopted by reference in all succeeding pleadings. Each claim founded upon a separate transaction or occurrence, and each defense other than denials, must be stated in a separate count or defense whenever a separation facilitates the clear presentation of the matters.
(c)Adoption by reference; exhibits. Statements in a paper may be adopted by reference in a different part of the same or another paper. An exhibit to a paper is a part of that paper for all purposes.
(d)Paper format. All pleadings and other papers, other than exhibits and court-approved forms, must be 8 1/2 inches wide x 11 inches long, on white background, with a right, left, top, and bottom margin of not less than one inch. All text or images must be clearly legible; must be double spaced, except for matters customarily single spaced; must be on one side only; and must not be smaller than 12-point size.
(e)Signature line. The name of the person signing must be typed or printed under that person’s signature. If a proposed document ready for signature by a court official is electronically filed by an attorney, the order must not include the official’s signature line and must, at the end of the document, indicate that the signature appears at the top of the first page.
(f)Non-conforming papers. The clerk of the court may examine the pleadings and other papers filed with the court. If they are not prepared in conformity with paragraphs (a) through (e), the clerk must accept the filing but may require counsel to substitute properly prepared papers for nonconforming papers. The clerk or the court may waive the requirements of this rule for self-represented parties. For good cause shown, the court may relieve any party of any requirement of this rule.
(g)Replacing lost pleadings or papers. If an original pleading or paper filed in any action or proceeding is lost, the court may, upon motion, with or without notice, authorize a copy of the document to be filed and used instead of the original..
(h)No improper content. The court may strike and disregard all or any part of a pleading or other paper that contains redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.
(1)Any reference in these rules to a writing, recording, or image includes the electronic version of the writing, recording, or image.
(2)A paper electronically signed and filed is the original.
(3)An electronic copy of a paper, recording, or image may be filed as though it were the original. Proof of the original, if necessary, is governed by the Utah Rules of Evidence.
(4)An electronic copy of a paper must conform to the format of the original.
(5)An electronically filed paper may contain links to other papers filed simultaneously or already on file with the court and to electronically published authority.
Amendment History
Amended effective January 1, 1983; April 1, 1990; April 1, 1998; November 1, 2000; November 1, 2002; April 1, 2008; April 1, 2013; May 1, 2014; May 1, 2022; November 1, 2023; November 1, 2025.
Advisory Committee Notes
Advisory Committee Notes
As a general matter, Rule 10 deals with the form of papers filed with the court — both “pleadings” as defined in Rule 7(a) and “other papers filed with the court,” including motions, memoranda, discovery responses, and orders. The changes in the present rule were promulgated to clarify ambiguities in the prior rule and to address specific problems encountered by the courts. Paragraph (b), (c) and (e) of the rule were not changed, except that paragraph
(e) was redesignated as (g) and new paragraphs (e) and (f) were added.
Paragraph (a). This paragraph specifies requirements for captions in every paper filed with the court. In addition to the other requirements, the caption must contain the name of the judge to whom the case is assigned, if the judge’s name is known at the time the paper is filed. In the top left-hand corner of the first page, each paper must state identifying information concerning the attorney representing the party filing the paper. Finally, every pleading must state the name and current address of the party for whom it is filed; this information should appear on the lower left- hand corner of the last page. This information need not be set forth in papers other than pleadings.
Paragraph (d). The changes in this paragraph make it clear that papers filed with the court must be “typewritten, printed or photocopied in black type.” The Advisory Committee considered suggestions from groups that so-call “dox matrix” printing be specifically prohibited. The Advisory Committee, however, settled on the requirements that “typing or [printing shall be clearly legible . . . and shall not be smaller than pica size.” If typing or printing on papers filed with the court complies with these standards, the papers should not be deemed to violate the rule merely because they were prepared in a dox matrix printer. As currently written, this paragraph also removes any confusion concerning the top margin and left margin requirements (now 2 inches and 1 inch respectively), and this paragraph imposes new requirements for right and bottom margins (both one-half inch).
Paragraph (e). This paragraph, which is an addition to the rule, requires typed signature lines and signature lines and signatures in permanent black or blue ink.
Paragraph (f). The changes in this paragraph make it clear that the clerk must accept all papers for filing, even though they may violate the rule, but the clerk may require counsel to substitute conforming for nonconforming papers. The clerk is given discretion to waive requirements of the rule for parties who are not represented by counsel; for good cause shown, the court may relieve parties of the obligation to comply with the rule or any part of it.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 10 is the housekeeping rule: it doesn't touch what a pleading or motion says, only how it has to look. Every pleading and paper needs a caption with the court's name, the case title, the case number if known, the name of the document, and the assigned judge and commissioner if known. A party filing any claim for relief has to include the applicable discovery tier in the caption, so the tier is visible on the face of every filing. A full complaint has to name every party in its title; later filings can shorten that to the first party on each side with an indication that others exist. Every paper also needs the filer's name, address, email, and phone number in the top left corner of the first page, plus a bar number if a lawyer files it. Domestic relations cases follow their own caption conventions — "In the matter of the marriage of," "the parentage of," or "the children of," depending on the type of case.
Below the caption, the rule sets out the mechanics of drafting: statements go in numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practical to a single set of circumstances, and later pleadings can incorporate earlier paragraphs by reference. Claims arising from separate transactions or occurrences should be split into separate counts when that helps the court follow the case. Exhibits attached to a paper are treated as part of that paper for every purpose.
Physical formatting is specific: 8½-by-11-inch white paper, at least a one-inch margin on all four sides, legible text no smaller than 12-point, double-spaced except where single-spacing is customary, printed on one side only. Signers must have their name typed or printed beneath their signature. A clerk who receives a nonconforming filing still has to accept it, though the clerk can require a corrected version later, and the rule lets a clerk or court waive these formatting requirements for self-represented parties or for good cause.
Two closing provisions matter in practice. Courts can strike redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous material from any filing. And electronic filings are fully equivalent to paper: a writing, recording, or image includes its electronic version, an electronically signed and filed paper is the original, and an electronic copy can be filed and treated as an original, including links to other filed documents or published authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be in the caption of a Utah court filing?
The court's name, the title of the action, the case number if known, the name of the document, and the assigned judge and commissioner if known. A filing that asserts a claim for relief must also state the applicable discovery tier in the caption.
What are the formatting requirements for papers filed with a Utah court?
8½ x 11 inch white paper, printed on one side only, with at least a one-inch margin on every side, text no smaller than 12-point, and double spacing except where single spacing is customary.
What happens if my filing doesn't follow Rule 10's formatting rules?
The clerk still has to accept it for filing, but may ask you to substitute a properly formatted version. The clerk or the court can waive these requirements for self-represented parties, and the court can excuse any party from them for good cause.
Is an electronically signed and filed document treated as the original?
Yes. Rule 10(i) treats an electronically signed and filed paper as the original document, and an electronic copy of a paper, recording, or image can be filed and used as though it were the original.
What if I lose an original pleading that was filed with the court?
The court can authorize a copy to be filed and used in place of the lost original, on motion, with or without notice to the other parties.
Source & verification. Rule text, Advisory Committee Notes, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure,
adopted by the Utah Supreme Court. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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