ORCP 16 – Form of Pleadings

A Captions; names of parties. Every pleading must contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the title of the action, the register number of the cause, and a designation in accordance with Rule 13 B. In the complaint the title of the action must include the names of all the parties, but in other pleadings it is sufficient to state the name of the first party on each side with an appropriate indication of other parties.

B Pseudonyms. Each party must be identified by the party’s name except that a party may seek a court order permitting use of a pseudonym when otherwise permitted by law.

C Concise and direct statement; paragraphs; separate statement of claims or defenses. Every pleading must consist of plain and concise statements in paragraphs consecutively numbered throughout the pleading with Arabic numerals, the contents of which must be limited as far as practicable to a statement of a single set of circumstances, and a paragraph may be referred to by number in all succeeding pleadings. Each separate claim or defense must be separately stated. Within each claim alternative theories of recovery must be identified as separate counts.

D Consistency in pleading alternative statements. Inconsistent claims or defenses are not objectionable and, when a party is in doubt as to which of two or more statements of fact is true, the party may allege them in the alternative. A party may also state as many separate claims or defenses as the party has, regardless of consistency and whether based on legal or equitable grounds or both. All statements must be made subject to the obligation set forth in Rule 17.

E Adoption by reference. Statements in a pleading may be adopted by reference in a different part of the same pleading.

[CCP 12/2/78; §B amended by CCP 12/8/84; §B amended by CCP 12/13/86; §A amended and §B adopted and former §§B,C,D redesignated and amended by CCP 12/8/18]​