(a) Caption; Names of Parties. Every pleading must have a caption with the court’s name, a title, a file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation. The title of the complaint must name all the parties; the title of other pleadings, after naming the first party on each side, may refer generally to other parties.
Rule 10.Form of Pleadings
Enacted effective October 1, 2011 · Last verified June 26, 2026
In one sentenceRule 10 dictates the physical form of pleadings — a proper caption naming the court and parties, claims set out in numbered paragraphs, and exhibits that become part of the pleading.
Full Text of Rule 10
(b) Paragraphs; Separate Statements. A party must state its claims or defenses in numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances. A later pleading may refer by number to a paragraph in an earlier pleading. If doing so would promote clarity, each claim founded on a separate transaction or occurrence -- and each defense other than a denial -- must be stated in a separate count or defense.
(c) Adoption by Reference; Exhibits. A statement in a pleading may be adopted by reference elsewhere in the same pleading or in any other pleading or motion. A copy of a written instrument that is an exhibit to a pleading is a part of the pleading for all purposes.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 10 handles the format of a pleading. Every pleading needs a caption with the court’s name, a title, a file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation (such as “Complaint” or “Answer”); the complaint’s title must name all the parties, while later pleadings can name the first party on each side and refer generally to the rest.
The body must be organized into numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances, which makes it easy to admit or deny precisely and to cross-reference later. Statements can be adopted by reference, and a written instrument attached as an exhibit is part of the pleading for all purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a pleading’s caption include?
The court’s name, a title, a file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation (for example, “Complaint” or “Answer”). The complaint’s title must name all the parties.
Do I have to number the paragraphs?
Yes. Claims and defenses are stated in numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances.
Is an exhibit attached to my pleading part of it?
Yes. A copy of a written instrument that is an exhibit to a pleading is part of the pleading for all purposes.
Source & verification. Reproduced verbatim from the Montana Code Annotated as
published by the State Law Library of Montana and the Montana Legislature. This rule has not been amended since its adoption.
Adopted by the Supreme Court of Montana (AF 07-0157). Last verified June 26, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: form of pleadingscaptionnumbered paragraphsexhibits