Court papers, or papers of the court, is a general reference to the documents filed with the clerk of the court during the course of a civil lawsuit. These documents are generally accessible to the public and include the petition or complaint that initiated the lawsuit, the answer filed in response to the lawsuit, motions seeking certain types of relief from the court, responses opposing such motions, and other documents such as each party’s inventory of the property owned by the parties to a divorce and a social or home study analyzing parenting and child custody qualifications in a child custody dispute. Some documents created during a lawsuit are not filed with the court and are therefore not included in the papers of the court.

In North Dakota, court papers or documents filed with the clerk of the court during a civil lawsuit are generally considered public records and are accessible to the public. This includes the initial petition or complaint, answers, motions, responses, and other relevant filings such as property inventories in divorce cases and studies related to child custody. However, not all documents created during a lawsuit are filed with the court; some may be exchanged between the parties and their attorneys without being part of the official court record. It's important to note that while most court documents are public, there are exceptions. Certain records may be sealed or confidential, such as those involving juveniles, sensitive personal information, or when the court finds a compelling reason to restrict access to protect privacy or safety. Access to these documents may require a court order or may be limited to the parties involved in the case.