(a) Every pleading, motion, and legal memorandum of a party represented by an attorney shall be dated and signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney’s individual name, whose address and Washington State Bar Association membership number shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign and date the party’s pleading, motion, or legal memorandum and state the party’s address. Petitions for dissolution of marriage, separation, declarations concerning the validity of a marriage, custody, and modification of decrees issued as a result of any of the foregoing petitions shall be verified. Other pleadings need not, but may be, verified or accompanied by affidavit. The signature of a party or of an attorney constitutes a certificate by the party or attorney that the party or attorney has read the pleading, motion, or legal memorandum, and that to the best of the party’s or attorney’s knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances: (1) it is well grounded in fact; (2) it is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law; (3) it is not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation; and (4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief. If a pleading, motion, or legal memorandum is not signed, it shall be stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission is called to the attention of the pleader or movant. If a pleading, motion, or legal memorandum is signed in violation of this rule, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, may impose upon the person who signed it, a represented party, or both, an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the pleading, motion, or legal memorandum, including a reasonable attorney fee.
Rule 11.Signing and drafting of pleadings, motions, and legal memoranda; Sanctions
Group 3: Pleadings and Motions · Last amended September 1, 2005 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 11 requires every pleading, motion, and legal memorandum to be signed and dated by an attorney or the unrepresented party, treats that signature as a certification that the filing is well grounded and not filed for an improper purpose, and authorizes sanctions for violations.
Full Text of Rule 11
(b) In helping to draft a pleading, motion or document filed by the otherwise self-represented person, the attorney certifies that the attorney has read the pleading, motion, or legal memorandum, and that to the best of the attorney’s knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances: (1) it is well grounded in fact, (2) it is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law, (3) it is not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation, and (4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief. The attorney in providing such drafting assistance may rely on the otherwise self-represented person’s representation of facts, unless the attorney has reason to believe that such representations are false or materially insufficient, in which instance the attorney shall make an independent reasonable inquiry into the facts.
Amendment History
Prior: RPPP Rule 11. Adopted May 5, 1967, effective July 1, 1967; amended, adopted Dec. 7, 1973, effective Jan. 1, 1974; amended, adopted June 5, 1985, effective Sept. 1, 1985; amended, adopted May 10, 1990, effective Sept. 1, 1990; amended, adopted Sept. 2, 1993, effective Sept. 24, 1993; amended, effective Oct. 29, 2002; amended June 2, 2005, effective Sept. 1, 2005.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 11 puts a name behind every filing. An attorney signing a pleading, motion, or legal memorandum must sign individually, and list an address and Washington State Bar Association membership number. A party without a lawyer signs personally and lists an address instead. Certain family law petitions — dissolution, separation, validity of marriage, custody, and modifications of decrees from those proceedings — must be verified; other pleadings may be verified or supported by affidavit but don't have to be.
The signature itself means something. By signing, the attorney or party certifies that they read the filing and that, after a reasonable inquiry under the circumstances, it is well grounded in fact, is warranted by existing law or a good-faith argument to extend or change the law, is not filed to harass or cause delay or unnecessary expense, and that any denial of a factual claim is either warranted by the evidence or, if based on lack of information, is identified as such. A filing that isn't signed gets stricken, unless it's signed promptly once the omission is pointed out. Sign one that violates these certifications, and the court — on its own initiative or on motion — can sanction the signer, the represented party, or both, which can include paying the other side's reasonable expenses and a reasonable attorney fee.
Rule 11(b) addresses attorneys who draft a filing for someone who otherwise represents themselves — commonly called ghostwriting. The drafting attorney makes the same certification the signing party would: the filing is read, well grounded in fact, warranted by law, not filed for an improper purpose, and its denials are properly based. The attorney may rely on the self-represented person's account of the facts, unless there is reason to believe those facts are false or materially incomplete, in which case the attorney must make an independent, reasonable inquiry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to sign a pleading or motion?
An attorney of record signs individually and must list an address and Washington State Bar Association membership number. If a party has no attorney, that party signs personally and lists an address.
What does signing a pleading certify?
That the signer read it, and that after a reasonable inquiry it is well grounded in fact, warranted by existing law or a good-faith argument to change the law, not filed for an improper purpose such as harassment or delay, and that any denial of facts is properly based on evidence or a stated lack of information.
What happens if a pleading isn't signed?
It is stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission is brought to the attention of the person who filed it.
What sanctions can a court impose under Rule 11?
The court may sanction the person who signed the filing, the represented party, or both, which can include ordering payment of the other side's reasonable expenses, including a reasonable attorney fee, caused by the improper filing.
Which family law petitions must be verified?
Petitions for dissolution of marriage, separation, declarations concerning the validity of a marriage, custody, and modification of decrees issued from any of those proceedings must be verified. Other pleadings may be verified but are not required to be.
What are an attorney's obligations when helping a self-represented litigant draft a filing?
Under Rule 11(b), the attorney certifies the same things a signing party would — that the filing is read, well grounded in fact, warranted by law, and not filed for an improper purpose. The attorney may rely on the self-represented person's version of the facts unless there is reason to doubt it, in which case the attorney must independently inquire.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Washington Superior Court Civil Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Washington. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Washington CR 11 sanctionsattorney signature requirement on pleadingsghostwriting pleadings for self-represented litigantsverification requirement for family law petitions Washingtonsanctions for frivolous filing Washingtonwhat does signing a motion certify