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Are exhibits listed in the order they appear or in order of importance? I'm following the sample format on my county's "self-help center" for pro se litigants, and the example is for another type of case. It has a section for presenting the facts, and under that section (I. FACTS), I list all the relevant facts to the case. The purpose is to refute the libelous claims, so I provide the backstory of what actually happened, leading up to this person creating their libelous content. Thus, while it seems that the main libelous story would be "exhibit A," that doesn't come in until further down the list.

So is "exhibit A,", in my case, a relatively minor piece of evidence refuting an unflattering and false portion of the story, but unrelated to the main allegation (which is libel per se). Or is "Exhibit A" or "Exhibit 1" the libelous material and Exhibit B, the next most important piece of evidence, regardless of the order its presented in the list?

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I agree with @INaki Viggers that:

There is no "formal" rule on that, but it is common for exhibits to be labeled/listed in the order they are referenced in the pleadings and briefs.

But, for exhibits to be presented at a trial or hearing, the most common approaches are to list exhibits in order of anticipated presentation, in order of subject matter topics, or a combination of both. However, there is no penalty other than a possible loss of narrative flow, for using another order.

It isn't uncommon to put late added exhibits at the end to avoid having to renumber them if you are in a time crunch.

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    if they use a shared exhibit numbering, it might also be mandated (in case there are multiple court dates with ongoing discovery, especially with longer-running active litigation, like in Germany when custody is on the line), that new filings have to add to the common exhibit list. E.g. if the court orders a medical evaluation after there are 122 exhibits in, then that would be exhibit 123.
    – Trish
    Dec 6, 2022 at 8:34
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Are exhibits listed in the order they appear or in order of importance?

There is no "formal" rule on that, but it is common for exhibits to be labeled/listed in the order they are referenced in the pleadings and briefs.

I'm following the sample format on my county's "self-help center" for pro se litigants

In general, beware that sample formats tend to do more harm than good. You will be better off by looking at [lawyers'] filings of actual cases. Ask the clerk for access to the files of other cases litigated in that court.

Learning from the filings other cases will be helpful not only from the standpoint of format, but also because their content will guide you on how to articulate your arguments and how to refute the opposing counsel's. Make sure you thoroughly understand the legal meaning of terms you intend to adopt/adapt from those other briefs. Blind imitation/copy of language can backfire.

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