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Rule 131 – Form of Documents

May 11, 2021 | Civil Procedure, Illinois

(a)Legibility. All documents for filing and service shall be legibly written, typewritten, printed, or otherwise prepared. The clerk may reject any documents which do not conform to this rule.
(b)Titles. All documents shall be entitled in the court and cause, and the plaintiff’s name shall be placed first.
(c) Multiple Parties. In cases in which there are two or more plaintiffs or two or more defendants, it is sufficient in entitling documents, except a summons, to name the first-named plaintiff and the first-named defendant with the usual indication of other parties, provided there be added the official number of the cause.
(d)Name, Address, Telephone Number, Facsimile Number and E-mail Address.

(1)Attorneys. All documents filed or served in any cause by an attorney upon another party shall bear the attorney’s name, business address, e-mail address, and telephone number. The attorney must designate a primary e-mail address and may designate no more than two secondary e-mail addresses.
(2)Self-Represented Litigants. All documents filed or served in any cause by a self-represented litigant upon another party shall bear the self-represented litigant’s mailing address and telephone number. Additionally, a self-represented litigant who has an e-mail address must designate a single e-mail address to which service may be directed under Rule 11. If a self-represented litigant does not designate an e-mail address, then service upon and by that party must be made by a method specified in Rule 11 other than e-mail transmission.

Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 131

Amended Feb. 19, 1982, eff. April 1, 1982; amended October 30, 1992, eff. Nov. 15, 1992; amended Dec. 21, 2012, eff. Jan 1, 2013; amended Jan. 4, 2013, eff. immediately; amended Dec. 9, 2015, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; amended Dec. 29, 2017, eff. Jan. 1, 2018; amended July 15, 2020, eff. July 15, 2020 immediately.

Committee Comments

(Revised February 1982)

In 1982 the rule, which was former Rule 6 without change of substance, was amended to require that all papers filed or served had to bear the name, as well as the address and telephone number, of the responsible attorney or attorneys and law firm filing them.