National Association for Legal Support Professionals (NALS) Practice Exam

The essential idea is that the front matter of a pleading (the caption) tells you which court the case is in, who the parties are, and the case number, tying the document to a specific lawsuit. The line that names the document itself (the title) tells you what kind of filing this is—such as a Complaint, an Answer, a Motion for Summary Judgment, or a Petition.

So, the caption might show the court name (for example, a state or federal court), the case style with the parties’ names, and the case number. This is how the document is associated with the right case and jurisdiction. The title, on the other hand, sits below or after the caption and simply identifies the document type, like “Complaint for Damages” or “Answer to Complaint.” It signals to the clerk and the court the role of this specific document within the ongoing case.

In short, the caption anchors the document in a particular case and court, while the title identifies what kind of filing it is.