Chapter 14 of the Judicature Act of Michigan has made several important changes in the law regarding declarations, and is supplemented by new rules of court (1916).

Declarations formerly in common use "may" be used in the "actions which are in this act retained but" no declaration shall be deemed insufficient which shall contain such information as shall reasonably inform the defendant of the nature of the case he is called upon to defend." The tendency of the legislature and courts before the Judicature Act, to eliminate the ultra refinements and technicalities of old forms of common law pleading has been commented upon at various times by the Supreme Court of Michigan. "Extreme niceties and technical exactness is not favored." 130

All pleadings must contain a plain and concise statement without repetition of the facts on which the pleader relies in stating'his cause of acton or defense and no others.131

Pleadings need not and should not allege implications of fact or presumptions of law, nor conclusions of law, nor irrevelant

130. Green v. Mich. Cent. R. Co., 168 Mich. 104-110.

131. Mich. Cir. Ct. Rule 21, Sec. 2.

or scandalous matter, and must be as brief as the nature of the case will permit.132

Dates, sums and numbers may be expressed in either figures or in words.133

Whenever a cause of action or defense is based upon a written instrument or document, the substance only of such instrument or document shall be set forth in the pleading, and a copy thereof shall be attached to the pleading as an exhibit, which shall be deemed to be a part of the pleading, or said copy may with like effect be set forth in the pleading, provided such copy need not be attached or set forth when the written instument or document is one the form of which is prescribed 134 by statute. Profert shall not be required.

By the new rules of court it is provided that "inconsistent causes of action or defenses are not objectionable, and when the party is in doubt as to which of two or more statements of facts is true he may in separate counts or paragraphs allege or charge facts, although the same may be inconsistent with other counts or paragraphs in the same pleading, and will be entitled to such relief as the facts may warrant, under either count or paragraph.135

"Each count or division of a pleading shall, so far as practicable, be divided into paragraphs consecutively numbered, each containing as near as may be a separate allegation.136

"Every pleading shall be signed by a party or his agent or attorneys." 137