Be sure you know the rules of engagement…

Don’t put yourself in the position of having to defend the form of your pleading to the court, rather than the substance, and have your motion or request denied or rejected because you used a traditional pleading instead of a Judicial Council Form. Determine if the court prefers, or requires, a Judicial Council form: the court might still accept a traditional pleading for an acknowledgement of satisfaction of judgment; however, a petition for the court’s approval of a minor’s compromise must be submitted on a Judicial Council form (perhaps because it is heard in the Probate Court).

 In the event the case takes a detour over to the Workers Compensation Appeals Board or Bankruptcy Court, they have their own peculiar forms... and rules of engagement.