Instructions for Filing an Original Petition for Writ in the Supreme Court of Missouri

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Filing Fee and Motions for Leave to Proceed In Forma Pauperis

The filing fee for an original writ petition is $70 unless you are filing a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis or are exempt from paying the filing fee. If you are filing a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, it should be the first document attached. Pro se litigants (those not represented by an attorney) should include detailed information about income, assets, debts, liabilities, etc. in this motion. This Court does not provide forms to use to prepare a motion to proceed in forma pauperis.

Formatting Instructions

All documents prepared for filing in this Court (except for the Form 16 Writ Summary) shall follow the formatting guidelines outlined in Rule 81.18:
 
  • Documents shall be legible; formatted for pages of size 8.5 x 11 inches, and have all pages including the cover page, consecutively paginated using Arabic numerals at the bottom.
  • Documents shall have left, right, top and bottom margins of not less than one inch and shall have line spacing not less than 1.5, except the following may be single-spaced: the caption; headings; quotations more than two lines long; footnotes; certificate of service; and signature block.
  • The font, including footnotes, shall not be smaller than 13 point, Times New Roman. 
  • Petitions for writ shall be filed in text searchable PDF, except those filed by parties ineligible for electronic filing.

The Form 16 writ summary:
 
  • May be entirely single-spaced and must be prepared in 13 point or larger Times New Roman font.
  • This is the only document with a page limit. You may use as much space as necessary for the caption/style of the case and listing the identity of the parties and their attorneys; however, the information requested in statements 2 through 6 must fit on one page. See Rule 84.24(a)(1).
  • The sixth and final statement/question is requesting the circuit court county and case number and the case number in the court of appeals where the writ previously was denied. If you have not previously filed a writ in the circuit court and/or the court of appeals, you may wish to review Rules 84.22 and 91.02(a) carefully to determine the court in which you wish to file first.
  • This Court provides the Form 16 writ summary in an interactive Microsoft Word version and a non-interactive PDF version online. This is the only form this Court provides with regard to the filing of writ petitions.

The petition for writ, suggestions in support, and index of exhibits must follow the formatting guidelines outlined above and in Rule 81.18:
 
  • A certificate of service showing service of the writ and all attachments upon all opposing counsel, pro se litigants.
  • The certificate of service may appear at the end of the petition for writ immediately following the signature block or may be submitted as a separate document listing all documents provided, including the certificate of service itself.
    • If it appears at the end of the petition for writ, the certificate of service may be single spaced.
    • If it is submitted as a separate document, it must follow the formatting guidelines in Rule 81.18.
  • All certificates of service must specify the date of service, the method of service, and provide the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all counsel, pro se litigants and the respondent judge pursuant to Rule 84.24(a)(4).
 
Please note the electronic filing system does not provide service on an initial case filing; therefore, the method of service on a writ petition and all attachments must be by regular mail, electronic mail, facsimile, hand delivery, or overnight courier.

Index of Exhibits and Exhibits:
 
  • The index of exhibits shall identify each exhibit by number or letter, provide a brief description of the exhibit, and list the page number on which each exhibit begins.
  • The pages of the exhibits shall be numbered consecutively. Exhibits may be scanned separately or as one document if the size is not more than 7 MB.
  • Please see Rules 94.03 (mandamus) and 97.03 (prohibition) regarding the required formatting and pagination of the index of exhibits and exhibits.

Other Documents:

Electronic documents that are part of the official court record – including pleadings prepared by the filer and all exhibits – shall be self-contained and shall not contain hyperlinks. See Rule 103.04.

Order of Documents

The documents submitted for electronic filing are required to be prepared and/or scanned as separate PDF documents and submitted electronically in the following order:
  1. Motion to proceed in forma pauperis (if applicable)
  2. Form 16 Writ Summary
  3. Petition for Writ
  4. Suggestions in Support
  5. Index of Exhibits
  6. Exhibits
Pro se litigants should submit a hard copy of the documents in the order listed above. Please note only one original set of documents should be submitted for filing.
 

Other Information

Please review Rule 81.18, 84.22, Rule 84.24, 91, 94 and 97 and all other rules that apply to the filing of an original writ in this Court. 
 
For questions pertaining to the electronic filing of writs, please contact the clerk’s office at (573) 751-4144 or (573) 751-7313.

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