(a) Signature. Every petition, pleading, written motion, and other paper, except a list, schedule, or statement, or amendments thereto, shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney’s individual name. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign all papers. Each paper shall state the signer’s address and telephone number, if any. An unsigned paper shall be stricken unless omission of the signature is corrected promptly after being called to the attention of the attorney or party.
(b) Representations to the Court. By presenting to the court (whether by signing, filing, submitting, or later advocating) a petition, pleading, written motion, or other paper, an attorney or unrepresented party is certifying that to the best of the person’s knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances,—
(1) it is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation;
(2) the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions therein are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law;
(3) the allegations and other factual contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, are likely to have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and
(4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief.
(c) Sanctions. If, after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond, the court determines that subdivision (b) has been violated, the court may, subject to the conditions stated below, impose an appropriate sanction upon the attorneys, law firms, or parties that have violated subdivision (b) or are responsible for the violation.
(1) How Initiated.
(A) By Motion. A motion for sanctions under this rule shall be made separately from other motions or requests and shall describe the specific conduct alleged to violate subdivision (b). It shall be served as provided in Rule 7004. The motion for sanctions may not be filed with or presented to the court unless, within 21 days after service of the motion (or such other period as the court may prescribe), the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is not withdrawn or appropriately corrected, except that this limitation shall not apply if the conduct alleged is the filing of a petition in violation of subdivision (b). If warranted, the court may award to the party prevailing on the motion the reasonable expenses and attorney’s fees incurred in presenting or opposing the motion. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm shall be held jointly responsible for violations committed by its partners, associates, and employees.
(B) On Court’s Initiative. On its own initiative, the court may enter an order describing the specific conduct that appears to violate subdivision (b) and directing an attorney, law firm, or party to show cause why it has not violated subdivision (b) with respect thereto.
(2) Nature of Sanction; Limitations. A sanction imposed for violation of this rule shall be limited to what is sufficient to deter repetition of such conduct or comparable conduct by others similarly situated. Subject to the limitations in subparagraphs (A) and (B), the sanction may consist of, or include, directives of a nonmonetary nature, an order to pay a penalty into court, or, if imposed on motion and warranted for effective deterrence, an order directing payment to the movant of some or all of the reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses incurred as a direct result of the violation.
(A) Monetary sanctions may not be awarded against a represented party for a violation of subdivision (b)(2).
(B) Monetary sanctions may not be awarded on the court’s initiative unless the court issues its order to show cause before a voluntary dismissal or settlement of the claims made by or against the party which is, or whose attorneys are, to be sanctioned.
(3) Order. When imposing sanctions, the court shall describe the conduct determined to constitute a violation of this rule and explain the basis for the sanction imposed.
(d) Inapplicability To Discovery. Subdivisions (a) through (c) of this rule do not apply to disclosures and discovery requests, responses, objections, and motions that are subject to the provisions of Rules 7026 through 7037.
(e) Verification. Except as otherwise specifically provided by these rules, papers filed in a case under the Code need not be verified. Whenever verification is required by these rules, an unsworn declaration as provided in 28 U.S.C. § 1746 satisfies the requirement of verification.
(f) Copies of Signed or Verified Papers. When these rules require copies of a signed or verified paper, it shall suffice if the original is signed or verified and the copies are conformed to the original.
(As amended Mar. 30, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987; Apr. 30, 1991, eff. Aug. 1, 1991; Apr. 11, 1997, eff. Dec. 1, 1997.)
added in current removed in current
Compared to current version (2025).
(a) Signature. Every petition, pleading, written motion, and other paper, document-except a list, schedule, or statement, or an amendments thereto, shallo one of them-must be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney’s individual name. A party who is not represented by an attorney shallmust sign all papers. Each paper shalldocuments. Each document must state the signer’s address and telephone number, if any. An unsigned paper shall beThe court must stricke an unless omission of the signature is corrected promptlysigned document unless the omission is promptly corrected after being called to the attention of the attorney’s or party’s attention.
(b) Representations to the Court. By presenting to the court (a petition, pleading, written motion, or other document-whether by signing, filing, submitting, or later advocating) a petition, pleading, written motion, or other paper, it-an attorney or unrepresented party is certifyingies that, to the best of the person’s knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances,-:
(1) it is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase in the cost of litigation costs;
(2) the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions therein are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for theto extensiond, modificationy, or reversal ofe existing law, or theo establishment of new law;
(3) the allegations and other factual contentions have evidentiary support -or, if specifically so identified, are likely to have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and
(4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence -or, if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief.
(c) Sanctions.
(1) In General. If, after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond, the court determines that subdivision (b) has been violated, the court may, subject to the conditions stated belowin this subdivision (c), impose an appropriate sanction upon theany attorneys, law firms, or partiesy that have violated subdivision (b) or arecommitted the violation or is responsible for it. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm must be held jointly responsible for thea violation.
(1) How Initiated committed by its partner, associate, or employee.
(A2) By Motion.
(A) In General. A motion for sanctions under this rule shallmust be made separately from any other motions or requests and shall, describe the specific conduct alleged to violate subdivision (b). It shall be served as provided in Rule 7004(b), and be served under Rule 7004.
(B) When to File. The motion for sanctions mayust not be filed with or presented to the court unless, within 21 days after service of the motion (or such other period as the court may prescribe),if the challenged paperdocument, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is not withdrawn or appropriately corrected, except that t within 21 days after the motion was served (or within another period as the court may order). This limitation shalldoes not apply if the conduct alleged is the filing of a petition in violation of subdivision (b)(b).
(C) Awarding Damages. If warranted, the court may award to the party prevailing on the motionparty the reasonable expenses and attorney’s fees incurred in presenting or opposing the motion. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm shall be held jointly responsible for violations committed by its partners, associates, and employees.
(B) On Court’s Initiative
(3) By the Court. On its own initiative, the court may enter an order describing the specific conduct that appears to violate subdivision (b) and directing an attorney, law firm, or party to show cause why it has not violated subdivision (b) with respect thereto(b).
(24) Nature of a Sanction; Limitations.
(A) In General. A sanction imposed for violation ofunder this rule shallmust be limited to what is sufficientes to deter repetition of suchthe conduct or deter comparable conduct by others similarly situated. Subject to the limitations in subparagraphs (A) and (B), the sanction may consist of, or include, directives of a nonmonetary nature,The sanction may include:
(i) a nonmonetary directive;
(ii) an order to pay a penalty into court,; or,
(iii) if imposed on motion and warranted for effective deterrence, an order directing payment to the movant of some or allall or part of the reasonable attorneys’s fees and other expenses incurred as a directly result ofing from the violation.
(AB) Limitations on a Monetary sSanctions may not be awarded. The court must not impose a monetary sanction:
(i) against a represented party for a violation of subdivisiong (b)(2).; or
(Bii) Monetary sanctions may not be awarded on the court’s initiative unless the court issues its order to its own, unless it issued the show -cause order under (c)(3) before a voluntary dismissal or settlement of the claims made by or against the party whichthat is, or whose attorneys are, to be sanctioned.
(35) Order. WhenContent of a Court Order. An order imposing a sanctions, the court shall describe the conduct determined to constitute a violation of this rule must describe the sanctioned conduct and explain the basis for the sanction imposed.
(d) Inapplicability Tto Discovery. Subdivisions (a) through (c) of this rule-(c) do not apply to disclosures and discovery requests, responses, objections, and motions that are subject to the provisions of Rules 7026 through -7037.
(e) Verification. Except as otherwise specifically provided by these rules, papers filed in a case under the Code need not be verified. Whenever verification is required by these rulesying a Document. A document filed in a bankruptcy case need not be verified unless these rules provide otherwise. When these rules require verification, an unsworn declaration as provided inunder 28 U.S.C. § 1746 satisfies the requirement of verificationuffices.
(f) Copies of Signed or Verified PaperDocuments. When these rules require copies of a signed or verified paper, it shall sufficedocument, if the original is signed or verified, and the copies are copy that conformeds to the original suffices.
(As amended Mar. 30, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987; Apr. 30, 1991, eff. Aug. 1, 1991; Apr. 11, 1997, eff. Dec. 1, 1997; Apr. 2, 2024, eff. Dec. 1, 2024.)