Rule 81.14.The Record on Appeal, Multiple Appeals--Form of Record on Appeal.

Part I · Rule 81: Appeals · Last amended January 1, 2013 · Last verified July 22, 2026

In one sentenceRule 81.14 lets multiple appellants from the same judgment share one record on appeal and share its cost, and it sets formatting specifics for the legal file and transcript, including page limits, binding, margins, and how page-reduction transcripts and multiple respondents are handled.

Full Text of Rule 81.14

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) Multiple Appeals—The Record on Appeal. If more than one appeal is taken from the same judgment, a single record on appeal may be prepared with each appellant sharing the cost.

(b) Form—Index and Page Numbers. The pages of both the legal file and the transcript shall be numbered consecutively and each shall contain a complete index at the front thereof designating the specific volumes and pages where the particular records, pleadings, motions, verdicts, judgment, orders, instructions, evidence, exhibits, and documentary evidence may be found. If portions of the trial record, proceedings, and evidence are omitted from the transcript, the indices shall so indicate. If the transcript includes the testimony of witnesses, the index shall refer to the transcript pages where the several examinations (direct, cross, re-direct, etc.) of each witness may be found. Exhibits shall be identified in the index by number or letter and page and, in addition, shall be described so that the court can distinguish the exhibits.

(c) Form of Legal File. The legal file shall have a tan cover and shall be duplicated by any clear dry duplicating process but may be typewritten or printed if the duplicating process is inadequate. A typewritten legal file shall conform to the provisions of Rule 81.18(c), except that it shall be securely bound on the top or left side. If duplicated, the legal file shall be a true copy of the original documents. Fasteners used to bind the legal file shall extend a full one inch beyond the depth of the volume. A volume of the legal file shall not exceed two hundred pages.

The transcript shall be typewritten or printed or prepared by any other clear dry duplicating process. If typewritten, the legal file or transcript shall comply with the requirements of Rule 81.18. If duplicated, the legal file shall be a true copy of the original documents.

(d) Form of Transcript. The transcript shall be typewritten, printed, or prepared by any other clear dry duplicating process. If typewritten, it shall comply with the requirements of Rule 81.18 except that:

(1) There shall be no fewer than nine characters to the typed inch;

(2) It shall be securely bound on the left side with either spiral binding or fasteners that extend a full one inch beyond the depth of the volume;

(3) It shall have a left margin of not less than one and one-fourth nor more than one and three-fourth inches;

(4) It shall have a right margin of not more than three-eighths of an inch; and

(5) There shall be no fewer than 25 typed lines per sheet of paper.

Each question and answer shall begin no more than five spaces from the left margin, with no more than five spaces from the “Q” and “A” to the text. Carry-over questions and answers shall begin at the left margin. A volume of transcript shall not exceed 200 sheets of paper.

(e) Reduction Format Transcript. In lieu of filing a transcript as provided in Rule 81.14(c), a party may file a transcript in page reduction format. Page reduction transcripts shall conform to the provisions of Rule 81.14(d), except that not more than four pages of transcript may appear on each side of each sheet of paper in the page reduction format. The party filing a transcript in page reduction format shall file the full-page transcript with the court if ordered by the court to do so. A party who files a page reduction format transcript shall also file an electronic copy, in a commonly used medium, such as a diskette or CD-ROM, in a format that can be read by most commonly used word processing programs, such as Word for Windows or WordPerfect 5.x or higher. An adhesive label shall be affixed to each disk legibly identifying the caption of the case, the disk number (e.g., “Disk 1 of 2”), and the word processing format (e.g., Microsoft Word for Windows). Word format shall be used if available. If Word is unavailable, the transcript shall be formatted in WordPerfect 5.x or higher. The reporter or transcriber shall certify that the electronic copy has been scanned for viruses and that it is virus-free.

(f) Multiple Respondents. If there is more than one respondent, and all respondents are not represented by the same counsel, the appellant shall serve a copy of the legal file on each respondent. The appellate court, on motion, may make such order respecting delivery of a copy of the transcript as may be just and equitable.

End

Amendment History

Adopted June 13, 1979, eff. Jan. 1, 1980. Amended July 27, 1979; Nov. 9, 1982, eff. Jan. 1, 1984; Amended June 1, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Amended Sept. 28, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Amended Dec. 15, 2000, eff. July 1, 2001; Amended May 30, 2012, eff. Jan. 1, 2013.

Plain-English Summary

When more than one party appeals the same judgment, Rule 81.14 lets them prepare a single record on appeal and split the cost among the appellants, instead of each preparing a separate one.

The rule then works through the physical form the record has to take. The legal file needs a tan cover, reproduced by a clear dry duplicating process (or typewritten or printed if that process will not work), bound securely with fasteners extending a full inch beyond the volume's depth, and capped at 200 pages per volume. The transcript follows its own formatting rules — minimum character density, specific left and right margins, a minimum number of typed lines per page, particular spacing for question-and-answer testimony, and a 200-sheet limit per volume.

Parties can also file a page-reduction transcript, fitting up to four transcript pages on each side of a sheet, as long as an electronic copy in a commonly used word-processing format accompanies it and the reporter or transcriber certifies that copy as virus-free. The court can still require the full-page transcript if it orders one.

When there is more than one respondent and they are not all represented by the same counsel, the appellant has to serve a copy of the legal file on each of them, and the appellate court can order how transcript copies get delivered in a way that is fair to everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the record on appeal when several parties appeal the same judgment?

Rule 81.14 lets a single record be prepared, with the cost shared among the appellants.

What color cover does the legal file need?

A tan cover, under Rule 81.14(c).

Is there a page limit on a legal file or transcript volume?

Yes. A volume of the legal file may not exceed 200 pages, and a volume of transcript may not exceed 200 sheets of paper.

Can I file a page-reduction transcript?

Yes, with up to four transcript pages per side of each sheet, along with an electronic copy certified as virus-free.

What if there's more than one respondent?

If they are not all represented by the same counsel, the appellant must serve a copy of the legal file on each one, and the court can order how transcript copies are delivered.

Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: multiple appeals same judgment recordlegal file format missouritranscript formatting rulespage reduction transcript