ga-quality-check

Georgia Pre-Filing Quality Check

NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Formatting and quality checks verify the surface — they don't tell the user whether the underlying legal position is sound. Verify current rules before filing; pair with substantive review by counsel where stakes warrant.

Use this skill as the last step before filing any Georgia court document. Two passes, then a pre-flight checklist.

Pass 1 — Format

For a .docx filing, run scripts/format-check.py first:

python3 plugins/ga-court-docs/scripts/format-check.py path/to/filing.docx

The format-check script validates the marketplace format baseline:

• US Letter paper (8.5" × 11")
• 1-inch margins on all four sides
• 12-point body font
• Acceptable serif/sans family (Times New Roman / Arial)
• Black ink only (no colored text / highlight / shading)
• Double-spaced body
• Footer with PAGE and NUMPAGES fields ("Page X of Y") plus the document title and case number
• Continuous line numbering down the left margin

Resolve any FAIL before continuing. Georgia has no single statewide pleading-paper rule; the baseline above is the default, overridden only by an assigned judge's standing case-management order (common in Fulton — see ga-fulton).

Pass 1 supplemental — manual format checks (any source)

Whether the source is .docx, markdown, or text, verify the O.C.G.A. § 9-11-10 caption components manually:

• Caption (§ 9-11-10(a)) — name of the court, the county, the title of the action, and the file number; the complaint names all parties; later pleadings may name the first party on each side plus "et al."
• Designation of the pleading under § 9-11-7(a) (e.g., "DEFENDANT'S ANSWER," "MOTION TO DISMISS")
• Title centered between caption and body
• Numbered paragraphs (§ 9-11-10(b)) — sequential, each limited so far as practicable to a single set of circumstances; separate counts for separate claims or defenses
• Party designations — Plaintiff/Defendant in civil actions; Petitioner/Respondent in divorce and family matters
• Signature block (§ 9-11-11) — name, address, phone, email, and the Georgia Bar No. for attorneys, or "Pro Se" for self-represented filers
• Certificate of Service (§ 9-11-5) — date, method, and recipient(s)
• Exhibits — labeled and referenced in the body (exhibits are exempt from the body-format rules)

Pass 2 — Content

For a motion / brief:

• Relief stated clearly in the opening paragraph
• Rule or statute citation that grants the relief
• Numbered factual paragraphs with record cites (complaint ¶, affidavit ¶, exhibit, admission)
• Controlling authority applied to the facts — not just cited
• Counter-arguments addressed
• Specific conclusion — what exactly should the court do?
• Proposed order attached or referenced (USCR 6.3/6.4 Rule Nisi where a hearing is sought — see ga-schedule-hearing)

For an affidavit / declaration:

• Personal-knowledge foundation in the opening paragraph
• Numbered factual paragraphs — facts only, no argument
• Exhibit references match the attached exhibits
• Jurat / sworn-before-notary clause where an affidavit is required; date and place of execution

For a proposed order:

• Caption identical to the underlying motion
• Findings separate from the ordering clause
• Ordering clause mirrors the motion's prayer for relief
• Specific dates / amounts filled in or bracketed for the judge
• Judge signature line at the foot

For an answer:

• Each paragraph of the complaint addressed (admit / deny / lack knowledge — no skipping)
• Affirmative defenses pleaded (statute of limitations, payment, etc.)
• Compulsory counterclaims pleaded (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-13(a) — same transaction or occurrence)
• Prayer for relief included

Pass 3 — Citations, deadlines, venue

• Citations — run ga-fact-check to confirm every O.C.G.A., USCR, and case citation is real, current, and supports the proposition stated.
• Deadlines — run ga-deadlines to confirm the answer (30 days, § 9-11-12(a)), discovery-response (30/45 days), summary-judgment (served ≥ 30 days before hearing, § 9-11-56), and motion-response (USCR 6.2 — 30 days) deadlines are correct.
• Court / venue — confirm the filing court is correct (Superior vs. State vs. Magistrate, by subject matter and the $15,000 Magistrate cap) and the venue county is proper. See ga-state-court, ga-magistrate, and the venue skills.

Pass 4 — Packet consistency

If filing multiple documents (motion + affidavit + proposed order + certificate of service):

• Same caption across all documents (court, county, file number, parties)
• Same document title referenced in the certificate of service and the proposed order
• Dates align — certificate-of-service date matches the signature date; affidavit "sworn on" date is internally consistent
• Relief sought matches between motion prayer and proposed order ordering clause (item by item)
• All referenced exhibits are attached

Pre-flight checklist

Check	Done
scripts/format-check.py passes (no FAIL)	☐
§ 9-11-10 caption: court, county, title, file number	☐
Title centered; pleading designation present (§ 9-11-7(a))	☐
Numbered paragraphs sequential, separate counts	☐
Signature block: Georgia Bar No. or "Pro Se" (§ 9-11-11)	☐
Certificate of Service: method, date, recipients (§ 9-11-5)	☐
Proposed Order / Rule Nisi drafted (if a hearing is sought)	☐
All exhibits attached and referenced	☐
Footer pagination ("Page X of Y") present	☐
Citations confirmed via ga-fact-check	☐
Deadlines confirmed via ga-deadlines	☐
Correct court (Superior/State/Magistrate) and venue confirmed	☐
Filing fee paid or § 9-15-2 pauper's affidavit attached	☐

Common Georgia pre-filing failures

1. Wrong court — debt or tort suit filed in Superior Court where the county's State Court is the proper forum, or a claim over $15,000 filed in Magistrate Court.
2. Caption omits the file number or county required by § 9-11-10.
3. Missing certificate of service under § 9-11-5.
4. No proposed Rule Nisi when a hearing date is needed under USCR 6.3.
5. Ignoring an assigned judge's standing case-management order that overrides the default format/procedure (common in Fulton).

Composition

• For format generation: ga-statewide-format
• For deep citation review: ga-fact-check
• For deadline computation: ga-deadlines
• For drafting each component: ga-draft-motion, ga-draft-declaration, ga-draft-order, ga-draft-note
• For court-specific overlay: ga-fulton, ga-cobb, ga-gwinnett, ga-state-court, ga-magistrate, ga-county-courts
• For pro se conventions: ga-pro-se
• For setting a hearing: ga-schedule-hearing
• For the final filing step: ga-file-packet

References

• references/format-checklist.md — § 9-11-10 caption and marketplace-baseline format checks
• references/content-checklist.md — required-component completeness by document type
• references/preflight-checklist.md — the pre-filing pass and packet consistency checks