General Civil Case Cover Sheet

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GENERAL CIVIL CASE COVER SHEET
Superior Court of California, County of [COUNTY]

(Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.220)


Clerk Use Only

• Case No.: ___________________
• Date Filed: _________________
• Judge: ______________________
• Dept.: ______________________


1. ATTORNEY & PARTY INFORMATION

Attorney or Self-Represented Party [NAME] (State Bar No. [BAR #])
Firm Name [LAW FIRM NAME]
Address [STREET] [CITY] [STATE] [ZIP]
Telephone [TEL]
E-Mail Address [EMAIL]
Attorney For  Plaintiff  Defendant  Cross-Complainant
Additional Parties (attach Form MC-025 if necessary) [NAMES]

2. AMOUNT DEMANDED (check one)

 Unlimited (exceeds $25,000)   Limited (does not exceed $25,000)


3. CASE TYPE / CATEGORY (select ONE most specific category)

A. PERSONAL INJURY/PROPERTY DAMAGE/WRONGFUL DEATH
22  Auto (22)    46  Uninsured Motorist (46)
24  Product Liability (24)
45  Medical Malpractice (45)
23  Other PI/PD/WD (23)
04  Asbestos (04)

B. NON-PI/PD/WD TORT
07  Business Tort/Unfair Business Practice (07)
08  Civil Rights (08)
13  Defamation (13)
16  Fraud (16)
19  Intellectual Property (19)
25  Professional Negligence (25)
35  Other Non-PI/PD/WD Tort (35)

C. EMPLOYMENT
36  Wrongful Termination (36)
15  Other Employment (15)

D. CONTRACT
06  Breach of Contract/Warranty (06)
09  Rule 3.740 Collections (09)
18  Insurance Coverage (18)
37  Other Contract (37)

E. REAL PROPERTY
14  Eminent Domain/Inverse Condemnation (14)
33  Wrongful Eviction (33)
26  Other Real Property (26)

F. UNLAWFUL DETAINER
32  Residential (32)  30  Commercial (30)  06  Post-Foreclosure (06)

G. JUDICIAL REVIEW
05  Asset Forfeiture (05)
85  Petition re: Arbitration Award (11)
53  Writ of Mandate (02)
19  Other Judicial Review (39)

H. PROVISIONALLY COMPLEX CIVIL LITIGATION (Cal. Rules of Court, rules 3.400-3.403)
41  Antitrust/Trade Regulation (03)  42  Construction Defect (10)
43  Mass Tort (40)   44  Securities Litigation (28)
45  Toxic Tort/Environmental (30) 46  Insurance Coverage-Complex (18)

I. OTHER
34  Other Complaint (Not otherwise specified) (42)
38  Miscellaneous Civil Petition (43)


4. COMPLEX CASE DESIGNATION

Plaintiff’s election Defendant’s election
Is this a “provisionally complex” case under CRC 3.400?  YES  NO If answered YES, file Judicial Council Form CM-110.

5. RELATED CASES

 Check if there are related cases. (Complete and file Form CM-015.)
Court: __________________ Case No.: __________________ Judge: __________________


6. FEE SCHEDULE & STATUTORY BASIS

Examples (Gov. Code §70611 et seq.; CRC 3.1800):

• Unlimited Civil—First Paper Filed by Plaintiff: $435
• Limited Civil ($10k–$25k): $370
• Limited Civil (< $10k): $225
• Additional fees: $ ___ (e.g., complex surcharge, jury demand, ADR)

[PLACEHOLDER_FEE_CALCULATION_WORKSHEET]


7. VERIFICATION

I am the attorney for (or a party to) this action. I have reviewed this form and confirm to the best of my knowledge that the information provided is true and correct and that this filing complies with Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.220.

Date: _____________   Signature: _________________________________________
Print Name: ____________________________________ Title: ____________________


8. FILING CHECKLIST (do not file with court)

  1.  Civil Case Cover Sheet (this document)
  2.  Complaint/Cross-Complaint
  3.  Summons (Judicial Council Form SUM-100)
  4.  Venue Declaration (where required)
  5.  Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum (if required by local rule)
  6.  Fee Payment (check, credit card authorization, or fee waiver application)

IMPORTANT PRACTICE NOTES

• Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.220(a) makes this form mandatory for most civil filings.
• Selecting the correct case category controls filing fees, judicial assignment, and ADR tracks.
• Misclassification may delay issuance of the summons or trigger reassignment and sanctions.
• For Limited Civil actions, verify the prayer for relief does not exceed $25,000 exclusive of costs.
• Update fee amounts every January; confirm against the clerk’s published schedule for [COUNTY].


END OF TEMPLATE

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These are the filings that drive a lawsuit through the system: complaints, answers, motions, briefs, discovery requests and responses, and post-judgment papers. Each has its own format requirements under federal and state procedural rules, and each has a deadline that cannot be missed without consequences. Clean, procedurally correct filings move a case forward; sloppy ones invite motions to strike, amended responses, and avoidable delays.

Important Notice

This template is provided for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.

Last updated: April 2026