Court Rules

Every court has rules (often called local rules) governing the procedures specific to that court. Details such as the size and length of the court papers, time limits for filing certain documents, the cost of filing and when a case may be placed on a calendar are dictated by these rules. In most states, statewide court rules govern the amount of alimony and child support to be paid based on the incomes of the spouses and the number of children. Court rules are usually formulated by legislative and administrative judicial bodies, or by the courts themselves.