United States Court of Federal Claims
What is the deadline for motion to strike from a pleading where no response is allowed in the Court of Federal Claims?
The period for motion to strike from a pleading where no response is allowed in the Court of Federal Claims normally runs 21 calendar days from service of the pleading containing the challenged matter, under RCFC 12(f)(2). If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, RCFC 6 carries it to the next open day.
Calculate my deadline- Period
- 21 calendar days
- Trigger
- Service of the pleading containing the challenged matter
- Rule
- RCFC 12(f)(2)
RCFC effective 27 July 2026
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Calculate your deadline
Enter the date of service of the pleading containing the challenged matter. See the date, cited rule and counting steps.
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Which date starts the 21-day period?
The period runs from the service of the pleading containing the challenged matter.
Count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Rules of the Court of Federal Claimson motion made by a party either before responding to the pleading or, if a response is not allowed, within 21 days after being served with the pleading
RCFC 12(f)(2)
This period runs from service as the rule defines it. Do not substitute the filing date, the day a courtesy copy arrived or the day you first read the paper.
Which date do I enter?How are the 21 calendar days counted?
- Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including weekends and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under RCFC 6.
If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, RCFC 6 carries it to the next open day.
RCFC 6 follows the federal civil counting method. Case orders and judge procedures commonly set a different date and control.
Read RCFC 6The calculation gives the ordinary national-rule date. Check relevant holidays, the court’s accessibility and its filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the service of the pleading containing the challenged matter on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (service of the pleading containing the challenged matter on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under RCFC 6. The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the default period.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 21 | Ordinary deadline in this example | September 22, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, stipulation approved by the court, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
What should I check before filing?
These checks help you review the result. They do not activate a calendar date or certify that the deadline applies.
Common questions
Find answers about when this 21-day period starts, how it is counted, what can change it and how to keep your calculation.
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the service of the pleading containing the challenged matter, or when I first learned of it?
The period runs from the service of the pleading containing the challenged matter as the rule defines it, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 21 calendar days or business days?
Calendar days. Count intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, RCFC 6 carries it forward to the next day that is not one of those.
RCFC 6Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
The Court of Federal Claims’ electronic filing rules and any order control the cutoff. This calculator does not verify system availability.
RCFC 6What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
RCFC 6 addresses inaccessibility of the clerk’s office on the last day. Check the court’s notices and orders.
RCFC 6Extensions and local rules
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. Many courts set their own periods by local rule, standing order or case-specific order, and those control over the national default. This calculator gives the national-rule date only; compare it with any order in the case before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit. Those questions need separate review.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free national-rule calculation, citation, counting steps and warnings. You can add court context after the result. Missing court review keeps the result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
The retained inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. The PDF includes a payload digest and retained-data appendix, and the record can be verified against its fingerprint later. It records the calculation, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. Provisional records remain subject to review. A separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
The period and the counting method come from different provisions. The official source is the court’s published rules; the reading links open the rule text at the Legal Information Institute.
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| RCFC 12(f)(2) | Trigger and period |
| RCFC 6 | Counting, legal holidays and the last day |
Rule record reviewed . Guide sources checked . Next source check .
Published by Deadline Engine. This tool calculates the ordinary period under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule applies, obtain an extension or file anything for you.