Tuesday Tips for Legal Professionals: Smoother Factums at the BCCA

The Court of Appeal for BC is very specific about how civil factums and replies must look. The templates and completion instructions spell out the font, spacing, margins, structure, and covers. The trouble usually starts later—when the file goes to print and the details get lost.

Here are practical, print-focused tips to turn those rules into a clean, court-ready factum.

1. Build from the official factum template

Start with the Court’s civil factum/reply template, not an old precedent. That way, you’re already aligned on:

• Font (e.g., Arial 12)

• Line spacing (e.g., 1.5)

• Minimum margins

• Numbered paragraphs and headings

By the time you export to PDF, you should not be “fixing” basic formatting—just content.

2. Lock in structure before you worry about printing

A factum that’s structurally sound is easier to print correctly. Before you send anything out:

• Check that headings follow the required order (issue, facts, argument, relief, etc.).

• Ensure paragraph numbering is consecutive and stable.

• Confirm that any appendices or schedules are placed where the Court expects them.

Only once the structure is final should you move to the print-ready stage.

3. Update the Table of Contents last, not first

The Table of Contents is often wrong because it was updated too early and never refreshed. Good workflow:

1. Finish your edits.

2. Confirm your headings and paragraph numbers are correct.

3. Update the Table of Contents from the final version.

4. Export to PDF with the updated TOC.

If you’re still marking up the factum after the TOC is set, you are asking for mismatched pages.

4. Turn Court rules on covers and binding into clear print instructions

The completion instructions and templates set out cover requirements based on role (appellant, respondent, etc.) and expect a specific binding style so there’s space for notes.

Translate that into simple, practical directions, for example:

• “Civil factum – [Appellant/Respondent/Reply] for the Court of Appeal for BC”

• “Use the required cover colour for our role as per BCCA factum instructions”

• “Cerlox (or similar) binding, so that the text is on the left and the facing page is blank for notes”

Your printer doesn’t need the rule number; they need clear, plain-language specs.

5. Send one complete PDF, not a pile of attachments

Factums are easier to handle—and less error-prone—when everything is in one properly assembled PDF:

• Cover

• Table of Contents

• Body of the factum

• Schedules / appendices (if required)

Avoid sending multiple separate files (“cover.pdf”, “factum_body.pdf”, “schedule.pdf”) and asking the printer to piece them together. Assemble it once, correctly, then send the final, single PDF.

6. Check legibility and layout at print scale

Before you send your file to print, view the PDF the way a judge will read it:

• Zoom to 100% and scroll—can you read comfortably without strain?

• Are margins generous enough so text won’t get lost in the binding?

• Are any block quotes, footnotes, or charts still clear on the page?

If it’s tight or hard to read on screen, it will be worse in print.

7. Be explicit about quantities and roles

Factums usually need multiple copies—for the Court, other parties, and your own file. Make that part of the print instruction, not an afterthought:

“Please produce [X] copies total, sufficient for Court of Appeal filing, required service copies, and one office file copy.”

If your firm always uses the same breakdown, save that as a standard note and reuse it.

8. Let your printer help catch last-minute issues

At CETTEC Printing, we work from the Court’s factum completion instructions and your final PDF. Before we print, we can:

• Check that your PDF is a single, complete factum

• Confirm covers, colours, and binding match the Court’s expectations

• Spot obvious issues like missing page numbers

If something looks off, we flag the print issue before it goes to press—so you’re not discovering a problem when you’re already at the registry.

If your firm is preparing a factum for the BCCA, consider sending your final factum PDF and the Court’s completion instructions together to your print partner. Turning those rules into concrete print directions is one of the easiest ways to avoid reprints, delays, and frustration on deadline days.