Notice of Appearance - New Hampshire

NOTICE OF APPEARANCE

State of New Hampshire — Superior Court

1. COURT HEADER AND CASE CAPTION

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

[________________________________], ss.              SUPERIOR COURT
(County Name)
                                                      Docket No. [________]-CV-[________]

[________________________________],
     Plaintiff(s),

          v.                                          NOTICE OF APPEARANCE

[________________________________],
     Defendant(s).

2. COURT AND COUNTY IDENTIFICATION

Select the applicable county (New Hampshire has 10 counties, each with a Superior Court):

☐ Belknap County — Superior Court, Laconia
☐ Carroll County — Superior Court, Ossipee
☐ Cheshire County — Superior Court, Keene
☐ Coos County — Superior Court, Lancaster
☐ Grafton County — Superior Court, North Haverhill
☐ Hillsborough County — Superior Court
☐ Northern District (Manchester)
☐ Southern District (Nashua)
☐ Merrimack County — Superior Court, Concord
☐ Rockingham County — Superior Court, Brentwood
☐ Strafford County — Superior Court, Dover
☐ Sullivan County — Superior Court, Newport

Alternative Court (if applicable):
☐ This appearance is in the Circuit Court — District Division (see Circuit Court Rule 3.17)
☐ This appearance is in the Circuit Court — Family Division
☐ This appearance is in the Circuit Court — Probate Division

Presiding Justice: [________________________________]

3. PARTY INFORMATION

Party Represented:

Full Legal Name of Party: [________________________________]
Street Address: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] ZIP: [________]
Telephone: [________________________________]

Party Designation:
☐ Plaintiff
☐ Defendant
☐ Third-Party Plaintiff
☐ Third-Party Defendant
☐ Cross-Claimant
☐ Counter-Claimant
☐ Intervenor
☐ Petitioner
☐ Respondent
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Rule 17 Requirement: The appearance form must contain the complete name, street address, and telephone number of the party on whose behalf the appearance is filed.

4. ATTORNEY INFORMATION

Pursuant to Superior Court Rule 17, the following information is required:

Appearing Attorney:

Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
New Hampshire Bar Association ID No.: [________________________________]
Law Firm Name: [________________________________]
Street Address: [________________________________]
Mailing Address (if different): [________________________________]
City: [________________________________] State: [____] ZIP: [________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Facsimile: [________________________________]
Email Address: [________________________________]

Rule 17 Required Information: An appearance must contain the name, street address, mailing address, email address, New Hampshire Bar Association member identification number, and telephone number of the person entering the appearance.

Additional Attorneys on the Matter (if applicable):

Attorney Name: [________________________________]
NH Bar ID No.: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Role: ☐ Lead Counsel ☐ Associate Counsel ☐ Of Counsel

5. APPEARANCE STATEMENT

Pursuant to New Hampshire Superior Court Rule 17, the undersigned attorney, [________________________________], New Hampshire Bar Association ID No. [________________________________], of the law firm of [________________________________], hereby enters an appearance on behalf of [________________________________] ("Client"), the [☐ Plaintiff / ☐ Defendant / ☐ Other: ________________] in the above-captioned action.

The undersigned respectfully requests that all pleadings, motions, notices, orders, and other papers be served upon the undersigned at the contact information provided herein, in accordance with Superior Court Rule 3.

6. TYPE OF APPEARANCE

☐ General Appearance — The undersigned enters a full appearance on behalf of the above-named party for all purposes in this action.

☐ Limited Appearance — Pursuant to Superior Court Rule 17(c), the undersigned enters a limited appearance on behalf of the above-named party, who is otherwise self-represented, for the specific purposes set forth in Section 9 below.

☐ Substitution of Counsel — The undersigned enters this appearance as substitute counsel, replacing [________________________________] (prior counsel, NH Bar ID No. [________________________________]). A separate Motion for Withdrawal has been or is being filed.

☐ Additional Counsel — The undersigned enters this appearance as additional counsel of record alongside existing counsel [________________________________].

7. CONSENT TO ELECTRONIC SERVICE AND FILING

Pursuant to the Supplemental Rules of the Superior Court of New Hampshire for Electronic Filing:

☐ Registered for electronic filing — The undersigned is a registered filer in the New Hampshire e-filing system and consents to electronic service. Electronic service shall be directed to:

E-filing/service email: [________________________________]
Secondary email (optional): [________________________________]

☐ Seeking exemption from electronic filing — The undersigned requests to be excused from the mandate of electronic filing pursuant to the Supplemental Rules, for the following reasons:
[________________________________]

E-Filing Registration: To file documents electronically, a person must become a registered filer by completing online registration, providing a username and password, and accepting the conditions of electronic filing. Parties seeking an exemption must file a written request with the court setting forth the reasons.

Electronic Service Rules:

• Electronic service through the e-filing system is governed by Supplemental Rule 13
• Service is deemed complete upon successful electronic transmission
• Attorneys registered in the e-filing system receive service automatically through the system
• Unrepresented parties who are not registered must be served by traditional methods

8. PRO HAC VICE ADMISSION (If Applicable)

☐ This section does not apply (attorney is an active member of the New Hampshire Bar Association in good standing).

☐ The undersigned seeks admission pro hac vice and files the following:

Out-of-State Attorney Information:
Full Name: [________________________________]
Bar Admission(s): [________________________________] (State), Bar No. [________________________________]
Office Address: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]

Associated New Hampshire Attorney (Required):
Name: [________________________________]
NH Bar ID No.: [________________________________]
Firm: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]

Pro Hac Vice Requirements:
☐ Motion for Pro Hac Vice Admission filed simultaneously
☐ Certificate of Good Standing from home jurisdiction attached
☐ Affidavit of applicant attorney attached
☐ New Hampshire local counsel has entered an appearance
☐ Pro hac vice fee paid as required by the New Hampshire Supreme Court
☐ All jurisdictions of admission and any disciplinary history disclosed
☐ Registered in the e-filing system for electronic notice

Practice Note: An out-of-state attorney admitted pro hac vice must associate with a member of the New Hampshire Bar. The local attorney must actively participate in the case and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all New Hampshire court rules.

9. LIMITED APPEARANCE (If Applicable)

☐ This section does not apply (general appearance entered above).

☐ Pursuant to Superior Court Rule 17(c) and N.H. R. Prof. Conduct 1.2(f), the undersigned enters a limited appearance on behalf of an otherwise unrepresented party for the following specific purpose(s):

Scope of Limited Representation:
☐ Representation at the following hearing(s): [________________________________]
Date(s): [__/__/____]
☐ Representation for discovery matters only
☐ Representation for mediation or settlement conference
☐ Representation for trial proceedings only
☐ Representation for specific motion(s): [________________________________]
☐ Drafting of specific pleading(s) or document(s): [________________________________]
☐ Other limited scope: [________________________________]

Anticipated Duration:
From: [__/__/____] Through: [__/__/____]
Or upon completion of: [________________________________]

Client Acknowledgment:
☐ The client has provided informed written consent to the limited scope of representation.
☐ The client understands they remain self-represented for all matters outside the stated scope.

Rule 17(c) Limited Appearance Requirements:

• The limited appearance must state precisely the scope of the limited representation
• The attorney's involvement is limited only to what is specifically stated in the limited appearance
• If the attorney subsequently signs a motion or other filing outside the stated scope, the limited appearance is deemed amended to extend to that filing
• An attorney providing limited representation by drafting documents for a self-represented party (without entering an appearance) must ensure the document contains the statement: "This filing was prepared with the assistance of a New Hampshire attorney."

Withdrawal from Limited Appearance:

• Upon completion of the stated limited purpose, the attorney may file a withdrawal without motion to the court, using the Limited Appearance or Withdrawal by Attorney form
• If the case has been assigned for trial or hearing, withdrawal requires a motion and court approval for good cause shown, even for limited appearances
• The NHJB Form "Limited Appearance or Withdrawal by Attorney" (NHJB-2922-Se) should be used

10. NON-ATTORNEY REPRESENTATIVE (If Applicable)

☐ This section does not apply.

☐ A non-attorney representative enters this appearance pursuant to applicable New Hampshire law (e.g., authorized representative for a business entity in small claims, or as otherwise permitted).

Name: [________________________________]
Title/Relationship to Party: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

11. SIGNATURE BLOCK

Dated: [__/__/____]

Respectfully submitted,

[________________________________]
(Law Firm Name)


By: ___________________________________________
    [________________________________]
    New Hampshire Bar ID No. [________________________________]
    [________________________________]
    [________________________________]
    [City], New Hampshire [________]
    Telephone: [________________________________]
    Email: [________________________________]

    Attorney for [________________________________]

12. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on [__/__/____], a true and correct copy of the foregoing Notice of Appearance was served upon all counsel of record and unrepresented parties by the following method(s), in accordance with Superior Court Rule 3:

___________________________________________
[________________________________]
New Hampshire Bar ID No. [________________________________]

13. ELECTRONIC FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Registration

1. Navigate to the New Hampshire Superior Court e-filing portal
2. Complete online registration to become a registered filer
3. Create a username and password
4. Accept the conditions of electronic filing
5. Ensure your NH Bar ID number is associated with your account

Filing This Document

1. Log in to the e-filing system
2. Select the appropriate county Superior Court
3. Enter the docket number to file into an existing case
4. Select document type: "Notice of Appearance" or "Appearance"
5. Upload the Notice of Appearance as a PDF
6. Attach any supporting documents (pro hac vice motion, limited appearance form)
7. Select service recipients
8. Review and submit the filing
9. Retain the electronic confirmation receipt

Courtesy Copies

• Rockingham and Hillsborough (North and South) may require courtesy copies for complex cases or lengthy filings
• Verify with the specific session clerk whether a courtesy copy is needed
• When required, deliver courtesy copies to the clerk's office or chambers as directed

Filing Fees

• There is generally no separate filing fee for a Notice of Appearance in New Hampshire Superior Court
• Pro hac vice admission may require a fee payable to the NH Supreme Court
• Confirm current fees with the court clerk

14. NEW HAMPSHIRE PRACTITIONER NOTES

Court Structure

• New Hampshire has 10 counties, each with a Superior Court (court of general jurisdiction for civil matters)
• The Circuit Court system (District Division, Family Division, Probate Division) handles cases within its designated jurisdiction
• Hillsborough County has two Superior Court sessions: Northern District (Manchester) and Southern District (Nashua)

Key Appearance Rules (Superior Court Rule 17)

• An appearance must be filed containing the attorney's name, street address, mailing address, email address, NH Bar ID number, and telephone number
• The appearance must also include the party's complete name, street address, and telephone number
• An appearance is required before an attorney may file any documents or appear at any proceeding on behalf of a party

Withdrawal Requirements (Superior Court Rule 17)

• After a case has been assigned for trial or hearing, no attorney may withdraw except upon motion granted by the court for good cause shown
• The court may impose terms and conditions on any withdrawal
• Limited appearance attorneys have specific withdrawal procedures under Rule 17(c)
• Use NHJB Form 2922-Se for limited appearance withdrawals

Limited Representation Considerations

• New Hampshire explicitly authorizes limited appearances under Rule 17(c)
• The scope must be stated with precision; any filing outside the scope expands the representation
• "Ghostwriting" (drafting documents without entering an appearance) is permitted but must include the disclosure statement about attorney assistance
• N.H. R. Prof. Conduct 1.2(f) and RSA 311:7-a provide the ethical and statutory framework

Common Pitfalls

• Omitting required information from the appearance (particularly the party's street address and telephone)
• Filing before registering in the e-filing system
• Not verifying courtesy copy requirements for specific court sessions
• Failing to clearly define the scope of a limited appearance, leading to unintended expansion of representation
• Overlooking the requirement to file a withdrawal motion once a case is assigned for trial

This template is designed for use in New Hampshire Superior Court. Circuit Court appearances may require a different form (see Circuit Court Rule 3.17). Federal court appearances in the District of New Hampshire require separate procedures. Always verify current rules and fees before filing.