Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Document Format Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Counsel's entry of appearance must be in writing.

All entries of appearance of counsel must be in writing and e-filed.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Permanent-record exhibits are limited to letter size, measuring 8½ by 11 inches.

Any exhibits which are part of the permanent record of the case are limited to 8 ½" x 11" in size (letter size).

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

All pleadings, motions, and other filings must be typewritten or legibly handwritten on white letter-sized paper, with typed documents double-spaced in 12-point font, subject to stylistic exceptions for block quotations and footnotes.

All pleadings, motions and other filings, e-filed or otherwise, must be typewritten or legibly hand-written on letter sized (8.5'' x 11") white paper. Typed documents must be double-spaced with 12 point font. Where stylistically appropriate, such as in block quotations and in footnotes, the spacing and font size may vary from this standard.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

All e-filed documents must, to the extent practicable, comply with Local Rule 8 and Civ.R.10; external links are prohibited, and internal links must be incorporated into the filed document.

(D) E-FILED DOCUMENTS (1) Format. All E-Filed documents must, to the extent practicable, be formatted in accordance with Local Rule 8 and Civ.R.10. A filed document may not contain internal links to other documents or references in the court’s case management system, unless the links are incorporated into the filed document. External links are prohibited.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

Proposed orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx format.

(3) Proposed Orders. Proposed orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format,

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

An electronic submission and any aggregate of PDF files in one transmission may not exceed 20 megabytes; oversized submissions are rejected and must be filed in paper format.

(4) Size of Filing. Submissions are limited to twenty megabytes in size. No combination of PDF files in one transmission may aggregate to more than twenty megabytes in size. Filings that exceed this size limit will be rejected by the clerk and must be filed as a paper document.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

An electronic filing may contain only one captioned document, although attachments to a motion, brief, or other filed document may be included in the same electronic filing.

(6) One Document per Filing. Only one captioned document may be filed per E-Filing. This provision does not preclude the inclusion of attachments to a motion, brief, or other filed document in the same E-Filing.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

E-filed documents requiring an attorney’s or filing party’s signature must use a signature representation such as “/s/ (name).”

(1) Attorney and Filing Party Signature. E-Filed documents that require an attorney’s or filing party’s signature must be signed with a representation of a signature such as "/s/ (name)."

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

A signature representation on an e-filed document has the same effect as an original signature for purposes of applicable procedural rules.

(2) Effect of Signature on E-filed Pleading. The representation of a signature on an e-filed document has the same effect as an original signature for purpose of signature requirements imposed by all applicable Rules of Procedure.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

When two or more individuals must sign a stipulation or other document, the e-filer must indicate the agreement of the other counsel or parties at the appropriate place, usually the signature line, using a signature representation.

(3) Multiple Signatures. When a stipulation or other document requires the signature of two or more individuals, the E-Filer must indicate the agreement of other counsel or parties at the appropriate place in the document, usually on the signature line, using the representation of a signature as detailed in Sec. E(2).

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Documents bearing signatures of someone other than the filing party, including affidavits and depositions, may be e-filed only as hand-signed scanned PDF documents.

(4) Third-Party Signatures. Documents containing signatures of someone other than the party filing the document (such as: affidavits, depositions, etc.) may be E-Filed only as a hand signed scanned PDF document.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Format

PAPER

Documents submitted for in camera review must be delivered to the assigned judge in paper outside the E-Filing system, and the submitting party must e-file a notice of the submission.

Any documents submitted for in camera review must be submitted to the assigned judge in paper form outside the E-Filing system. The party submitting the documents for in camera review must e-file a Notice of Documents Submitted for In Camera Review.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

All pleadings, motions, and other filings must use letter-sized white paper, with typed documents double-spaced in 12-point font, subject to stylistic variation in block quotations and footnotes.

All pleadings, motions and other filings, e-filed or otherwise, must be typewritten or legibly hand-written on letter sized (8.5'' x 11") white paper. Typed documents must be double-spaced with 12 point font. Where stylistically appropriate, such as in block quotations and in footnotes, the spacing and font size may vary from this standard.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Pleadings may not be amended through interlineation or obliteration.

No pleadings may be amended by interlineation or obliteration.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Format

PDF

E-filed documents must be submitted as PDF files, except proposed orders.

With the exception of proposed orders, all E-Filed documents must be filed as a portable document format (PDF) file.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Each electronic submission and any combined PDF transmission is limited to 20 megabytes; oversized filings must be filed in paper form.

Submissions are limited to twenty megabytes in size. No combination of PDF files in one transmission may aggregate to more than twenty megabytes in size. Filings that exceed this size limit will be rejected by the clerk and must be filed as a paper document.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

The E-filing title and docket type must exactly match the document caption and document type.

The title of a filing entered into the E-Filing system must match exactly the title in the caption of the filed document. c. The docket type selected on the E-Filing system must match exactly the type of document filed.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

An e-filed document requiring an attorney's or filing party's signature must use a signature representation such as "/s/ (name)."

E-Filed documents that require an attorney’s or filing party’s signature must be signed with a representation of a signature such as "/s/ (name)."

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

When two or more signatures are required, the e-filer must indicate the other parties' agreement at the appropriate location using represented signatures.

When a stipulation or other document requires the signature of two or more individuals, the E-Filer must indicate the agreement of other counsel or parties at the appropriate place in the document, usually on the signature line, using the representation of a signature as detailed in Sec. E(2).

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Documents bearing a non-filer's signature, including affidavits and depositions, may be e-filed only as hand-signed scanned PDFs.

Documents containing signatures of someone other than the party filing the document (such as: affidavits, depositions, etc.) may be E-Filed only as a hand signed scanned PDF document.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

An oversize or three-dimensional exhibit must be reduced by photograph or duplication and approved by the judge or hearing officer before inclusion in the permanent record.

The party responsible for the exhibit will ensure that oversize or three- dimensional exhibits are reduced by photograph or duplication and approved by the judge or hearing officer for inclusion into the permanent record as an exhibit.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Civil cases

Hardcopy filings may be bound only with a paper clip, binder clip, or three-ring binder, and filings using another binding method may be rejected by the clerk.

To permit easy scanning of documents, any filing submitted as a hardcopy may be bound only by a paper clip, binder clip or three-ring binder. A filing bound in any other manner may be rejected by the clerk.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Exhibits included in the permanent record must be letter size, and oversize or three-dimensional exhibits must be reduced by photograph or duplication and approved by the judge or hearing officer.

(E) Form of Exhibits. Any exhibits which are part of the permanent record of the case are limited to 8 ½" x 11" in size (letter size). The party responsible for the exhibit will ensure that oversize or three- dimensional exhibits are reduced by photograph or duplication and approved by the judge or hearing officer for inclusion into the permanent record as an exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Applies to

Proposed order

Format

DOCX

Proposed orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx format.

Proposed orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

E-filed documents must be formatted in accordance with Local Rule 8 and Civ.R.10 to the extent practicable.

All E-Filed documents must, to the extent practicable, be formatted in accordance with Local Rule 8 and Civ.R.10.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Filed documents may contain internal links only when incorporated into the document, and external links are prohibited.

A filed document may not contain internal links to other documents or references in the court’s case management system, unless the links are incorporated into the filed document. External links are prohibited.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

Every filed document must have an appropriate title.

All filed documents must have an appropriate title.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

The court may strike an accepted filing that does not substantially comply with formatting rules, either sua sponte or on a party's motion.

If, despite the clerk’s review, a document accepted for filing does not substantially comply with this court’s formatting rules, the court may, either sua sponte or on the motion of any party, strike the improperly formatted document.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026INFO

Format

PAPER

Exhibits or other items incapable of electronic capture or storage may be filed and served in paper form.

Exhibits or other items that cannot be captured or stored in an electronic format may be filed and served in paper form.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026INFO

A judge or magistrate may electronically sign a document using a digitized signature image.

Electronic documents may be signed by a judge or magistrate via a digitized image of his or her signature.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Format

PDF

(2) Portable Document Format. With the exception of proposed orders, all E-Filed documents must be filed as a portable document format (PDF) file.

Summary: All e-filed documents except proposed orders must be filed in PDF format.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

(5) Judge and Magistrate Signatures. Electronic documents may be signed by a judge or magistrate via a digitized image of his or her signature.

Summary: Electronic documents may bear a judge’s or magistrate’s signature as a digitized image, with the same effect as a conventional paper signature entered on the journal.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Civil cases

The Court may strike any filings that do not comply with this rule.

Summary: The court may strike filings that do not comply with the document-format rule.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

To permit easy scanning of documents, any filing submitted as a hardcopy may be bound only by a paper clip, binder clip or three-ring binder. A filing bound in any other manner may be rejected by the clerk.

Summary: Hardcopy filings may be bound only with a paper clip, binder clip, or three-ring binder, and other binding may lead to clerk rejection.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.INFO?

The representation of a signature on an e-filed document has the same effect as an original signature for purpose of signature requirements imposed by all applicable Rules of Procedure.

Summary: A signature representation on an e-filed document has the same legal effect as an original signature under applicable procedural rules.