Rule 11. Signing of Pleadings, Motions, and Other Written Requests for Relief; Sanctions

(a) Signature and Contact Information Required; Sanctions.

(1) Attorney Information Form. Attorneys must file the "Attorney Information" form with the Administrative Office of the Courts and must keep that information current.

(2) Attorney Signature. Subject to subdivision (b), every pleading, motion, and other written request for relief by a party represented by an attorney and filed with the court shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name, together with the attorney's bar number, address, email address, and telephone number.

(3) Unrepresented Party Signature. Every pleading, motion, and other written request for relief filed with the court by a party who is not represented by an attorney shall be signed by the party. Unless a Civil Summary Sheet is required pursuant to Rule 5(h), the party shall complete and submit to the court a current "Unrepresented Party Contact Information" form at the time of the party's first filing in the case. Whether the party has initially filed a Civil Summary Sheet or an "Unrepresented Party Contact Information" form, if the party's contact information changes during the pendency of the action, the party must complete and submit to the court a "Contact Information" form providing the updated contact information.

(4) Form of signature . Where a signature is required under this rule, a person may sign the document by using one of the following methods:

(A) Physically signing the document; or

(B) Signing electronically as defined in Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems Rule 37(a) when filing electronically or, with authorization, filing by email or using ShareFile.

(5) Effect of Signature; Effect of Failure to Sign. Except when otherwise specifically provided by rule or statute, pleadings need not be verified or accompanied by affidavit. The signature of an attorney or an unrepresented party constitutes a representation by the signer that the signer has read the pleading, motion, or other written request for relief; that to the best of the signer's knowledge, information, and belief there is good ground to support it; and that it is not filed for delay. If a pleading, motion, or other written request for relief is not signed, it shall not be accepted for filing.

(6) Sanctions. If a pleading, motion, or other written request for relief is signed with the intent to defeat the purpose of this rule, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, may impose upon the person who signed it, upon a party, or upon both, an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the pleading, motion, or other written request for relief, including a reasonable attorney's fee.

(b) Limited Appearance of Attorneys. To the extent permitted by the Maine Bar Rules, an attorney may file a limited appearance on behalf of an otherwise unrepresented litigant. The appearance shall precisely state the scope of the limited representation. The requirements of subdivision (a) shall apply to every pleading, motion, and other written request for relief signed by the attorney. An attorney filing a pleading, motion, or other written request for relief outside the scope of the limited representation shall be deemed to have entered an appearance for the purposes of the filing.

(c) Documents Filed in Federal Court. Any document originally filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maine or any other federal court, and transferred to a court subject to these rules, shall be deemed to be signed if the document is signed or signing of the document is indicated in a manner that is acceptable for filing in the court from which the document is transferred.