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Requirements for Form and Style of Papers

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Local Rule Number: 
Rule 9004-1
9000 Series

Papers tendered for filing shall meet the following requirements of form and style:

(A)       Official Forms and Local Forms.  Papers in the form prescribed by a local form or other form specifically authorized by the Bankruptcy Rules or these rules shall be deemed in compliance with this rule.  All forms must be completed in their entirety.

[Comment: In accordance with the federal judiciary privacy policy, local and internal forms either exclude the debtor’s social security or other individual taxpayer identification number entirely or to redact the number to the last four digits.]

(B)       Format.  All papers shall be plainly and legibly typewritten, printed or reproduced on one side of standard weight white/opaque paper only, with not less than 1 ½ spaces between lines except for quoted material.  Margins shall be at least 3/4 inch at the bottom and both sides and 1 inch at the top of each page (except as otherwise required in the court’s “Guidelines for Preparing, Submitting and Serving Orders”).  All papers of more than one page, must be securely fastened, but not stapled, at the top left-hand corner and must be paginated at the bottom of each page.

(C)       Title of Paper.  The title of every paper filed, except exhibits, shall be in bold, identify the filing party and shall be descriptive of the paper, indicating the relief sought or the action proposed.  Agreed matters must be designated as “agreed” in the title.  The titles of orders must comply with the requirements in the court’s “Guidelines for Preparing, Submitting and Serving Orders”.

(D)       Attachments.  Documents filed with the court shall not have as an attachment any document already filed in the case or proceeding. Instead, when referencing previously filed documents in a document being filed, include, in parentheses next to the name of the referenced document, the referenced document’s electronic docket entry or claim number.

[Comment: See also Local Rule 2002-1(H) (copies for service purposes may be 2-sided, but not “sandwiched”).]