Washington Cnty. C.P. Local Rules of Civil Procedure (Updated August 1, 2025) Rule 205.2(b)

(1) The first page of any pleading, petition, motion or other legal paper shall be a cover

sheet setting forth the items of information specified below, according to the format

presented in Form of Caption Sheet below. If needed, a second page may be attached and

numbered “Caption Sheet 2” at the bottom of the page.

(a) The lettering shall be in a font of no smaller than twelve-point size or an

equivalent and shall substantially follow the format in Form of Caption Sheet

below.

(b) The Caption Sheet on the document commencing the action (e.g., praecipe or

complaint), shall have a margin at the top of three (3) inches for the stamp of the

Prothonotary.

(2) The information required includes:

(a) (In Capital letters from the left to right margins)

"IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA"

(b) (In capital letters on left side of center) The complete names of all parties; if the

party filing the attached pleading has made a previous filing, an appropriate and

obvious shortened caption may be used.

(c) (In appropriate upper and lower case, except where otherwise indicated, on the

right side of center on separate lines):

(i.) the specific DIVISION, e.g., CIVIL or DOMESTIC RELATIONS;

(ii.) the docket number;

(iii.) the name of the assigned judge, if applicable;

(iv.) the name of the pleading, in bold face and all capital letters;

(v.) if the action is filed as a class action, then "CLASS ACTION'' shall

be set forth following the title of the document;

(vi.) if the action involves real estate, then the address, municipality, ward

if applicable, and a tax identification number shall be set forth;

(vii.) the completed statement: "Filed on behalf of (party’s name, party's

relationship to case)";

(viii.) the completed statement: "Counsel of Record: (attorney's name and

Pennsylvania Identification Number, firm name, firm number, address,

and telephone number)";

(ix.) the electronic mail address for service of the filing party; and

(x.) every motion, petition, or pleading must include a "Certificate of

Service" which sets forth the manner of service upon each party including

the name of an attorney of record for each party that is represented and

the address at which service was made. The "Certificate of Service" shall

be substantially in the following form:

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and correct copy of the foregoing [Title of Document]

has been served upon all other parties at the address( es) listed below via [manner of service],

this.___ day of ______. 20__.

[Name and address of counsel]

[Signature]

(3) Form of Caption Sheet.

The Caption Sheet shall be formatted substantially in the following form:

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLV ANIA

JOHN DOE,

Plaintiff,

vs

BIG CORPORATION, INC., and

CIVIL DIVISION

Docket No.

JANE DOE,

Defendants.

JUDGE

[TITLE OF DOCUMENT]

CLASS ACTION (if applicable)

Real Estate Involved (if applicable):

(Address, municipality, ward if applicable; a

tax identification number is required in all

cases involving real estate.)

Filed on behalf of Plaintiff, JOHN DOE

Counsel of Record for this Party:

Henry Smith, Esquire

Pennsylvania I.D. #12345

Eeny, Meeny, Miny & Mo

Firm I.D #6789

123 South Main Street, Suite 100

Washington, PA 15301-0000

724-867-5309

724-987-6543 (fax)

emmm@domain.com

RULE L-205.4. Electronic Filing of Legal Papers

For the purposes of this rule, the following words shall have the following meaning:

“case management system” means an electronic document repository maintained,

administered, and managed by the Court to track information and manage cases.

“electronic filing,” the electronic transmission of legal papers by means other than

facsimile transmission;

“filing party,” an attorney, party, or other person who files a legal paper by means of

electronic filing; and

“legal paper,” a pleading or other paper filed in an action, including exhibits and

attachments.

(a) Electronic filing. Beginning January 1, 2025, the filing of legal papers with the

Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County, 27th Judicial District,

is required to be done electronically unless otherwise excluded below. Prior to the date

identified in the preceding sentence, the filing of legal papers electronically shall be

permissive.

(1) Notwithstanding the previous section, the following legal papers shall not be filed

electronically:

(i.) a complaint for custody;

(ii.) a complaint for divorce that includes a count for custody;

(iii.) an appeal taken pursuant to Pa. M.D.J. 1002 through 1008;

(iv.) a notice of appeal from a decision of the court of common pleas pursuant to

Chapter 9 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure;

(v.) an appeal from an award by a board of arbitration;

(vi.) an appeal of a suspension of a driver’s license or motor vehicle registration;

(vii.) exemplification of records;

(viii.) filings under seal;

(ix.) a petition for a name change;

(x.) praecipe to continue an arbitration hearing;

(xi.) praecipe to reinstate a complaint;

(xii.) praecipe to reissue a writ of summons;

(xiii.) a request for special relief pursuant to Pa. R. C. P. 1531;

(xiv.) a request for a second or subsequent continuance of an arbitration hearing;

(xv.) filing of a bond, supersedeas, or any other monies into court; and

(xvi.) oversized documents that cannot be reduced to an 8.5 by 11-inch paper

format.

(2) The applicable general rules of court and court policies that implement the rules

shall continue to apply to all filings regardless of the method of filing.

(3) Actions for child support or alimony are filed in the Domestic Relations Section

and are not subject to this rule.

(b) Document Format.

(1) Electronically filed legal papers shall be presented in a portable document format

(PDF).

(2) If a legal paper contains a proposed order of court, the filing party shall separately

file only the proposed order in a Microsoft Word format.

(3) In the event any legal paper is presented in hard copy for filing, the Prothonotary

shall convert and maintain the legal paper as a PDF. The physical legal paper shall be

returned to the filing party for retention in accordance with Pa. R. C. P. 205.4(b)(4).

(c) Electronic Access.

(1) The Prothonotary shall provide sufficient terminals for use by filing parties and to

provide for public access to court records.

a. The Prothonotary shall make the terminals available for use during business

hours as established by the President Judge.

b. The Prothonotary shall provide assistance to users of the public terminals in

accordance with Pa.R.C.P. 205.4.

(2) The designated website for electronic filing is the C-Track E-Filing Portal, which

can be accessed by clicking on the “e-File” link on the Court’s website

(www.washingtoncourts.us).

(3) All electronic filers must register with the C-Track E-Filing Portal by clicking on

the “Register as an E-Filer” link of the designated website.

(4) Use of the C-Track E-Filing Portal shall be in accordance with the user manual (if

applicable), this local rule, and all instructions contained on the designated website.

(5) Registered users that submit electronic filings shall be individuals, and not law

firms, agencies, corporations, or other groups; provided, however, that the filer of a

legal paper must be a party or counsel of record.

(d) Fees.

(1) The Prothonotary shall accept payment of all electronic filings fees through credit

or debit card. The payment processor shall be approved by the Court through the

President Judge, or his or her designee.

a. A reasonable convenience fee may be charged for the use of a credit or debit

card.

b. The Prothonotary may not accept alternate payment or a deposit of funds in

advance of filing; provided however, that a filing party who utilizes a public

terminal may pay all fees associated with the filing by cash or money order in

addition to those methods prescribed in paragraph (1).

(2) The Prothonotary shall collect a user fee for the filing of certain legal papers as

established by the Court through the President Judge. The user fee and list of legal

papers shall be delineated by Administrative Order.

(e) Acceptance of Filing.

(1) In the event that a legal paper is to be filed by a deadline, the filing shall be timely

if filed by 11:59:59 P.M. EST/EDT on the day of the deadline.

Note: The electronic filing system is presumed to always be available. However, there will be

times that the system is unavailable due to maintenance or other reasons. In such an event, the

filing party shall make all reasonable attempts to file the legal paper as soon as the unavailability

ends.

(2) The Court upon motion shall resolve any dispute arising under the preceding

paragraph or Pa. R. C. P. 205.4(e). If a party makes a good faith effort to electronically

file a legal paper but it is not received, accepted, or filed by the system or Prothonotary,

the Court may order that the paper be accepted and filed nunc pro tunc upon a showing

that the filing party made reasonable efforts to present and file the paper in a timely

manner.

(3) If a legal paper is accepted by the Prothonotary, it shall be deemed to have been

filed upon the date and time it was received by the C-Track E-Filing Portal; provided,

however, that the Prothonotary is authorized to refuse for filing a legal paper that is

submitted without the requisite fee being paid.

(4) Nothing shall prohibit the Court and/or District Court Administrator, or their

respective designees, from directly filing an order, notice, or transcript into the C-Track

case management system or E-Filing Portal. For purposes of this rule, an order may

include an unfiled motion or petition that is attached to order once it has been signed

by a common pleas judge.

(f) Filing Status; Record; and Other Procedures.

(1) Upon receipt of an electronic filing, the Prothonotary shall provide the filing party

with an e-mail notification, or automated notification from the C-Track E-Filing Portal,

which includes the date and time the document was received by the C-Track E-Filing

Portal.

(2) After review of the electronic filing, the Prothonotary shall provide the filing party

with a second e-mail notification, or automated notification from the C-Track E-Filing

Portal, that the document has been accepted for filing ("filed") or refused and not

accepted for filing and the reason.

(3) When a legal paper is accepted by the Prothonotary, the PDF is considered part of

the official record. Proposed orders filed in Microsoft Word are to aid the Court and

not part of the official record.

(4) The Prothonotary shall maintain hard copies of the following documents regardless

of the method of filing:

i. a final order in an Abuse Act case until five years after the date of

the order;

ii. a verdict;

iii. a final order in a petition for a name change; and

iv. a divorce decree.

For all other legal papers, notices, or orders filed or maintained electronically under this Rule,

the Prothonotary is not required to maintain a hard copy.

(5) Hard copy case files in existence at the time this Rule is adopted must continue to

be maintained by the Prothonotary. Except as otherwise authorized by the Court

through the President Judge, the Prothonotary may only purge a case file upon closure

of the case if the legal papers in the case file are scanned into the C-Track case

management system in a PDF format. To purge a case file, the Prothonotary must file

an attestation that the electronic documents represent a full and complete copy of the

papers in the case file.

Note: This paragraph does not apply to cases that are expunged in accordance with statute, rule,

or order of court.

(6) When an electronic filer files a document that should be marked "confidential" or

otherwise secured, the filer shall indicate such required security at the time of their

filing submission through the prompts on the C-Track E-Filing Portal.

Note: A docket entry, legal paper, or other information may only be sealed by the Court upon

issuance of an order. A party may not seal a filing sua sponte; rather, the party should present a

motion if requesting that a case or filing be sealed.

(7) All electronic filing fees and costs shall be submitted and collected according to

subsection (d) of this Rule.

(8) Except as provided in Pa.R.C.P. 240, the Prothonotary is authorized to refuse for

filing a legal paper submitted without the requisite payment. If a legal paper is accepted,

it shall be deemed to have been filed as of the date and time it was received by the C-Track E-Filing Portal. If a legal paper is submitted without the requisite fee, the legal

paper shall be deemed to have been accepted for filing as of the date payment was

received. If the pleading or legal paper other than original process is accepted for filing,

it will be electronically served as authorized by Pa.R.C.P. 205.4(g)(1)(ii) and service

shall be effectuated as provided in Pa.R.C.P. 205.4(g)(2)(ii).

(9) Attachments, including exhibits, required to be part of any filing, shall be filed

electronically at the same time as the legal paper. An attachment or exhibit that exceeds

the technical standards for the C-Track E-Filing Portal or is unable to be electronically

filed due to its physical characteristics must be filed in person within one business day

of the filing of the legal paper.

(g) Service. The C-Track E-Filing Portal will automatically distribute a copy of any legal

paper filed in a case to each registered C-Track user who has entered his or her appearance

in that case and has been selected by the electronic filer to receive electronic service. Such

automatic distribution by the C-Track E-Filing Portal of electronically filed legal papers

other than original process constitutes service in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules

of Civil Procedure. The electronic filer must serve the electronically filed legal papers upon

any opposing parties or attorneys who are not registered users of the C-Track E-Filing

Portal in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure.

(1) Service through the C-Track E-Filing Portal upon transmission on a Saturday, a

Sunday, a holiday recognized by Court, or after 5:00 P.M. EST/EDT, shall be

considered complete on the next business day.

(2) Establishment as a registered user of the C-Track E-Filing Portal constitutes consent

to participate in electronic filing, including acceptance of service electronically of any

document, other than original process, filed on the C-Track E-Filing Portal in any type

of civil proceeding that permits electronic filing.

(3) Use of the C-Track E-Filing Portal does not relieve a party of service requirements

for a notice of appeal pursuant to Pa. R. A. P. 906(a)(2)-(4).

(h) Civil Cover Sheet. The filing of a cover sheet pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil

Procedure 205.5 is not required in the C-Track E-Filing Portal.

(i) Termination Notices for Inactive Cases. In addition to the procedures set forth in Pa.

R. C. P. 230.2, notice of proposed termination for inactive cases may be accomplished

electronically in cases where a party is a registered user of the C-Track E-Filing Portal.

(j) Public Access Policy. Counsel and unrepresented parties must adhere to the Public

Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Use of electronic filing

does not relieve any obligation regarding the filing of confidential information and/or

documents.

(k) Signature and Verification. A legal paper filed electronically is deemed an original

document.

(1) A legal paper filed electronically must include a signature block for the name of the

authorized filer.

(2) A required signature shall be supplied either by filing a scanned image of the legal

paper that bears the original signature of the filer, or, by affixing the digitalized

signature, or the name of the filer preceded by /s/, and the printed name of the attorney,

to the electronically filed legal paper.