Which elements must be included in the caption of a civil pleading?

Which elements must be included in the caption of a civil pleading?

• A. Names of parties; set forth by court; includes title of action, designation
• B. The court's hours
• C. The judge's name
• D. The case number

Answer: (A)

The caption is the header that identifies the case for the court and the parties. In North Carolina civil procedure, the essential pieces are who is involved and what the action is called, formatted according to the court’s rules. The caption should show the names of the parties (the plaintiff and the defendant) and the title of the action in the court’s prescribed form, along with the designation that it is a civil action. This identification helps the clerk docket the case and directs the document to the correct matter. Items like the court’s hours or the judge’s name aren’t part of the pleading header, and while a case number is useful for docketing, the core required elements are the parties and the action’s title with the court’s designation.

The caption is the header that identifies the case for the court and the parties. In North Carolina civil procedure, the essential pieces are who is involved and what the action is called, formatted according to the court’s rules. The caption should show the names of the parties (the plaintiff and the defendant) and the title of the action in the court’s prescribed form, along with the designation that it is a civil action. This identification helps the clerk docket the case and directs the document to the correct matter. Items like the court’s hours or the judge’s name aren’t part of the pleading header, and while a case number is useful for docketing, the core required elements are the parties and the action’s title with the court’s designation.