(a) Forms. As far as practicable, all pleadings shall be prepared on District Court forms prescribed by the Chief Judge of the District Court. The forms need not have a top margin and left hand margin of 1 ½ inches.

(b) Contents. Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleadings are required. A pleading shall contain only such statements of fact as may be necessary to show the pleader's entitlement to relief or ground of defense. It shall not include argument, unnecessary recitals of law, evidence, or documents, or any immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.

(c) Consistency. A party may set forth two or more statements of a claim or defense alternatively or hypothetically. When two or more statements are made in the alternative and one of them if made independently would be sufficient, the pleading is not made insufficient by the insufficiency of one or more of the alternative statements. A party may also state as many separate claims or defenses as the party has, regardless of consistency.

(d) Adoption by Reference. Statements in a pleading or other paper of record may be adopted by reference in a different part of the same pleading or paper of record or in another pleading or paper of record. A copy of any written instrument that is an exhibit to a pleading is a part thereof for all purposes.

(e) Construction of Pleadings. All pleadings shall be so construed as to do substantial justice.

Cross reference: Rules 1-301; 1-311 through 1-313.

Committee note: This Rule, authorizing the adoption by reference of statements in “papers of record” other than pleadings, must be read in conjunction with Rule 3-311 (d), which requires documents to be attached to a motion or response, incorporated by reference, or set forth verbatim as permitted by Rule 3-421 (g). The court need not consider a document in ruling on a motion unless the document is (1) attached as an exhibit, (2) filed and incorporated by reference, or (3) set forth verbatim in a motion to compel discovery. Since Rule 3-401 (b) prohibits the routine filing of discovery materials, any party who wishes the court to consider them will have to use one of these methods.

Source: This Rule is derived as follows:

Section (a) is derived from former M.D.R. 300 b.

Section (b) is derived from former M.D.R. 301 a.

Section (c) is derived from former Rules 301 d and 313 a.

Section (d) is derived from the last sentence of Rule 301 b.

Section (e) is new and is derived from the 1966 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 8 (f).