Form of Pleadings

(a) Caption; Names of Parties. Every pleading must have a caption with the court’s name, a title, a file number, and a RCFC 7(a) designation. The title of the complaint must name all the parties (see RCFC 20(a)), with the United States designated as the party defendant; the title of other pleadings, after naming the first party on each side, may refer generally to other parties. (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 19 RCFC 10 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 part of the pleading for all purposes. (As revised and reissued May 1, 2002; as amended Nov. 3, 2008.) Rules Committee Notes 2002 Revision RCFC 10 has been changed in minor respects in order to achieve closer textual conformity with FRCP 10. The former last sentence of subdivision (a) has been moved to RCFC 5.3. The last sentence of former subdivision (c) (“unless otherwise indicated, but the adverse party shall not be deemed to have admitted the truth of the allegations in such exhibit merely because the adverse party has failed to deny them explicitly”) was omitted as not in conformity with it was deemed the FRCP and because unnecessary. 2008 Amendment The language of RCFC 10 has been amended to conform to the general restyling of the FRCP.