§ 9-29-21 - Attorney or unrepresented party must sign papers – Sanctions for frivolous suits.
SECTION 9-29-21
§ 9-29-21 Attorney or unrepresented partymust sign papers – Sanctions for frivolous suits. – In any legal action based upon a cause of action arising on or after July 1,1987, every pleading, motion, and other paper of a party represented by anattorney shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in his or herindividual name, whose address and telephone number shall be stated. A partywho is not represented by an attorney shall sign his or her pleading, motion,or other paper and state his or her address and telephone number. Except whenotherwise specifically provided by rule or statute, pleadings need not beverified or accompanied by affidavit. The signature of an attorney or partyconstitutes a certificate by him or her that he or she has read the pleading,motion, or other paper; that to the best of his or her knowledge, information,and belief formed after reasonable inquiry it is well grounded in fact and iswarranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension,modification, or reversal of existing law, and that it is not interposed forany improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay orneedless increase in the cost of litigation. If a pleading, motion, or otherpaper is not signed, it shall be stricken unless it is signed promptly afterthe omission is called to the attention of the pleader or movant. If apleading, motion, or other paper is signed in violation of this rule, thecourt, upon motion or upon its own initiative, may impose upon the person whosigned it, a represented party, or both, an appropriate sanction, which mayinclude an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of thereasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the pleading, motion, orother paper, including a reasonable attorney's fee.