Court Procedure

5.1 Ex parte communications. Except as authorized by law, rule, or canon, judges shall neither initiate nor consider ex parte communications by interested parties or their attorneys concerning a pending or impending proceeding. 5.2 Ex parte orders. Under compelling circumstances, a motion for temporary limitation of access, not to exceed thirty (30) days, may be granted, ex parte, upon motion accompanied by supporting affidavit. 5.3 Pleadings and filing. 5.3.1 Preparation of documents. To the extent practical, all materials presented for filing in any probate court shall be typed, legibly written or printed in black ink suitable for reproduction, on opaque white paper measuring 8 1/2" x 11" of a good quality, grade, and weight, on only one side of the paper. Manuscript covers and backings shall be omitted whenever practical. Preparation of wills on 8 1/2" x 11" paper is encouraged but not mandatory. Any documents filed electronically shall conform to the provisions set forth in Rule 5.3.12. 5.3.2 Time of docketing. (A) Filing. The clerk, upon proper filing of the pleading or petition as set forth in Rule 5.3.12, shall promptly enter it on the court’s docket. (B) Electronic filing. An electronic document is presumed filed upon its receipt by the electronic filing service provider. A provider shall automatically confirm the fact, date, and time of receipt of such electronic document to the filing party. Absent evidence of such confirmation, there shall be no presumption of filing. 7 (C) System filing errors for electronic filing. If electronic filing or service is prevented or delayed because of a failure of the electronic filing system, a court shall provide for appropriate relief, including, but not limited to, the allowance of filings nunc pro tunc or the provision of extensions to respond. 5.3.3 Caption. Every document or pleading presented for filing in a probate court shall bear a caption which sets out the exact nature of the pleading or the type of petition. 5.3.4 Signatures. All judgments, orders, pleadings, and other documents shall bear the signature of the responsible attorney or party who prepared the document, and his or her name, proper address, and telephone number shall be typed or printed underneath. If a party is represented in the matter by an attorney of record, that attorney must sign the document to be filed for the document to be eligible for filing. Any documents filed electronically shall conform to the provisions set forth in