Rules of Court Law and Legal Definition
Rules of court are a set of procedural regulations adopted by courts which must be followed by those within the jurisdiction of those courts. Federal court rules are adopted by the district courts based on the Federal Rules of Procedure, and there are state court rules in most states that apply statewide. Many county, district and municipal court judges also have local court rules which specify the time allowed to file papers, the format of documents, the number of copies to be filed, the procedure to file motions, the basis for calculating alimony and child support, fees for filing various documents and other matters.
Rules are often classified into categories, such as criminal procedure, evidence rules, civil procedure, and appellate procedure. The rules often contain ethical rules that apply to the professional conduct of attorneys and judges.
